Technical Services

Ancon Building Products specialises in the design and manufacture of high integrity steel fixings for masonry and concrete construction. On a daily basis the company shares its specialist knowledge with its construction partners in order to avoid installation difficulties, site delays and unnecessary remedial measures.

Ancon has over 40 technical and design staff at its head office in Sheffield and each year fixing solutions for almost 1500 multi-storey projects are detailed by our four design teams. The early involvement of a specialist supplier can provide cost and time savings and prove invaluable to the smooth running of a project.

Ancon's expertise is available throughout the process from conception to construction and includes the following services.

Technical Advice/Product Selection
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Seminars
Specification Details
NBS Plus
Layout Drawings
Design Services
Design Programs
Project Management
Contract Support
CAD Details
Installation Guidance
Technical Literature

With an appreciation for value engineering, Ancon's technical staff will advise on the most cost effective fixing system. Areas will be highlighted where the structure needs to be designed for specific loading and where additional structural members may be required.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Seminars

Ancon has been conducting CPD Seminars to the Construction Industry for over 20 years.

Content is continually reviewed to ensure the Industry’s latest construction methods, design codes and manufacturing capabilities are featured. Seminars can be tailored to meet requirements or selected from the two standard formats below.

• Specifying appropriate wall ties and restraint fixings to BS5628, BS8298 and Approved Document E
• Using ‘non-drill’ restraint fixings
• Positioning of, and detailing at, movement joints
• Supporting masonry above horizontal movement joints
• Designing, selecting and specifying windposts and masonry reinforcement

DESIGNING FOR JOINTS in Structural Concrete

• Replacing lapped joints & projecting starter bars using reinforcement continuity systems, starter systems and couplers
• Selection, performance and testing of rebar couplers
• Incorporating thermal breaks at balcony locations
• Transferring shear across movement joints using simple debonded dowels and proprietary shear connectors
• Replacing double columns, corbels and half lap joints
• Accommodating thermal movement in two directions
• Reinforcing against punching shear to BS8110 using links and stud rail systems

These seminars can be arranged at a time of your choosing and are usually kept to within one hour; requirements for longer, more in-depth presentations can be accommodated. They are normally conducted at your premises over a lunchtime and can be accompanied by a buffet to make full use of the time available.

Alternatively, your CPD seminar can be held at Ancon’s head office in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Here, the seminar can be accompanied by a tour of the company’s design, project management and manufacturing operations. Our conferencing and training facilities also feature a permanent product display area.

Although this option is more popular with local companies, the site has good transport links with the rest of the UK. It is under two miles from Sheffield city centre and just three miles from the M1, Junction 34.

Seminar Bookings
To book a CPD seminar or to discuss your requirements please contact Ancon’s Technical Services Team on +44 (0) 114 275 5224 or email cpd@ancon.co.uk.

Design calculations, specification clauses and comprehensive details will be produced for discussion with the contract's design team. The format of this information is designed to speed the specification process.

Ancon’s product information is listed within NBS Plus, part of the NBS industry standard specification software used by architects, building surveyors and other construction industry professionals.

This means that technical information for Ancon products is available to NBS subscribers, in NBS format, at the relevant point in the specification.

Please click here to download Ancon's NBS specifications.

Using the latest parametric design software, early layout drawings can be provided with all fixings referenced and scheduled. This allows quantities to be accurately measured, delivery times to be reduced and installation problems to be minimised.

Design Services

Ancon AMR masonry reinforcement is a fabricated steel reinforcement system that is located in the bed joint to strengthen masonry panels without thickening the wall.

Ancon provides a free masonry panel design service. Download the standard design sheet below to summarise details of your application.

Design Programs

The following design programs simplify the design and specification of Ancon products.

Punching Shear Reinforcement Design
DSD Shear Load Connector Design
Warm Roof Batten Fixings Calculator

Ancon Shearfix is used within a concrete slab to provide additional reinforcement around column heads, protecting the slab from the effects of punching shear.

Shearfix offers many advantages over the use of loose shear links, which can be time-consuming to both design and install. A Shearfix system comprises double-headed steel studs. To simplify installation, and ensure alignment and accurate positioning within the slab, the studs are supplied welded to flat rails.

Both radial and orthogonal rail layouts can be designed, which allows the most economical design (fewest number of studs) to be achieved for each application.

Ancon distributes free design software. Please use the links below to request your copy. A faxback form is also available to effectively summarise the critical details of a project and to request assistance with a Shearfix design.

Reinforced concrete structures are designed with expansion and contraction joints to allow movement to take place. The design of the joint is important for the overall design of the structure to function correctly.

For a given application, the DSD Shear Load Connector design program will calculate the size and number of connectors required, the edge distance and spacings, and details of the local reinforcement.

Helical fixings are a quick and reliable solution to securing counterbattens to rafters without compressing the layer of insulation in-between.

HeliCalc is a free web-based program which calculates the length, density and quantity of Super-7 nails required for a specific project.

Visit www.helicalc.co.uk.

Ancon can coordinate the design, manufacture and delivery of the complete fixing solution to suit site progress.

Ancon's technical and design staff are available to attend office and site meetings to provide assistance at any stage in the process including pre-tender and pre-contract.

CAD details for Ancon's standard products are available to download from the website. Please click here to go to the CAD Details section.

Installation guides are available for Ancon's standard product range. They are available upon request or can be downloaded here.

Technical literature is available on Ancon's full product range. Each brochure uses the latest 3D design technology to create detailed drawings, clearly illustrating Ancon products in-situ.

For hard copies of the literature please call 0114 275 5224 or email info@ancon.co.uk

To download copies of the brochures please click here.