Fasteners are used in many industries: residential and commercial construction, manufactured housing, automotive, aerospace, furniture, pallets and containers, and so on.

Fasteners come in a wide variety of product types, such as screws, bolts, nails, and staples. They are used to connect two or more materials, such as wood, metal, concrete, and plastic. In construction, fasteners may be used with building products such as framing, roofing, cladding, sheathing, and decking.

 

Testing and Evaluation of Fasteners

nail withdrawal testing
Testing nail withdrawal capacity from 2×4 lumber

Standards such as ICC-ES AC118 for metal connections and ICC-ES AC233 for wood connections specify testing requirements for evaluating the capacity of fasteners in their intended end-use. In some tests, the fasteners themselves are subjected to tension, bending, and shear forces to determine the strength of the metal used to manufacture the fasteners. In other tests, fasteners are installed in a manner simulating the intended end-use (e.g., in a wood-to-wood connection) and then tested for withdrawal (aka pull-out), head pull-through (aka pull-over), and lateral/shear values. These test results can then be used in engineering calculations to determine a fastener’s capacity, ensuring a safe product application when installed as intended.

 

Corrosion and Rust Resistance

Metal fasteners are subject to corrosion/rust, especially in coastal areas such as Miami-Dade County, FL. These conditions may cause a fastener to degrade and lose its efficacy over time. Fasteners are often finished with a protective coating, anything from a standard zinc galvanization to proprietary coating systems. Standards such as ICC-ES AC257 specify salt spray testing per ASTM B117 and ASTM G85 Annex A to evaluate a fastener’s ability to withstand corrosive environments over time. Fasteners may be exposed to salt spray for any duration. Some common durations are 12 hours for a screw used in metal connections, 1,000 hours for roof tile fasteners used in Miami-Dade County, FL, and 1,440 hours for fasteners used in chemically-treated lumber.

 

Speed to Market

ICC NTA understands that it’s all about getting your products to market quickly, so we’ve tailored our business with you in mind. Between our vast array of services, our client-focused engineers and testing experts, and our efficient reporting process, we have what it takes to meet your needs. We work closely with our sister company ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) to help you get the certification you need for market entry, whether a Listing or an Evaluation Report (ESR), to demonstrate compliance with building codes.

About ICC NTA, LLC: As an accredited third-party agency and part of the International Code Council (ICC) Family of Solutions, ICC NTA provides code evaluation, inspection, engineering, plan review, and product testing services, as well as independent quality and standards compliance verification for building product manufacturers. With offices, testing labs, and training facilities in Nappanee, Indiana and Bryan, Texas, ICC NTA serves residential and commercial builders, code officials, manufacturers, and suppliers throughout the building industry.