Charpy Testing
What is Charpy testing and what ASTM standards require it?
Charpy testing, or impact testing, was developed in 1905 by Georges Charpy in order to determine the amount of energy absorbed by a material during fracture. It was noticed that as the temperature drops, the tensile and yield strengths of the steel increase, but the ductility drops, leading to brittle and sometimes catastrophic failures.
In this FAQ, our Certification Manager, Dane McKinnon, provides more information about this common fastener test and which ASTM specifications require Charpy testing.
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Dahla Dam Improvement
Kandahar City, Afghanistan
Photo courtesy of USACE and Mark Ray
In recent years, Portland Bolt has truly become an international supplier of nonstandard anchor bolts and construction fasteners. One of the 49 countries we shipped to in 2014 was Afghanistan. The Dahla Dam project in Kandahar City required large diameter A193 Grade B7 and F1554 Grade 55 threaded rods.
Steven Wallenstein coordinated the order in which we manufactured and shipped over 12,000 pounds of large diameter rods for this US Army Corps of Engineers Middle East District construction project.
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Popular FAQs
If you buy and use bolts in your line of work, there is no substitution for fastener knowledge. The more you know, the less likely you are to make a mistake when it comes to buying and installing construction fasteners. With a total of 211 Frequently Asked Questions in our ever-expanding knowledge base, over the past year these questions have been viewed most frequently.
Calculating Yield and Tensile Strength
- Anthony Porreco walks us through the mathematics of calculating yield and tensile strengths for any specific diameter and grade of bolt.
- Dane McKinnon explains the difference between tension in addition to providing a torque chart for various grades of fasteners.
Hot-Dip Galvanizing vs. Zinc Plating
- Gary Rusynyk details the difference between galvanizing and plating.
Galvanizing High Strength Bolts
- Dane McKinnon educates us as to which grades of bolts can and can’t be galvanized and explains how the potential for hydrogen embrittlement is a determining factor.
Torque as it Applies to Anchor Bolts
- Dane McKinnon tells us why torque charts do not apply to anchor bolts.