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Dive into a world of superior fastening expertise at Birmingham Fastener, where precision engineering meets unmatched reliability for your industrial needs.
The Birmingham Fastener Blog
Dive into a world of superior fastening expertise at Birmingham Fastener, where precision engineering meets unmatched reliability for your industrial needs.
How to Measure a U-Bolt – U-Bolt Size Chart
How to Measure a U-Bolt A U-bolt is measured by four dimensions: the length, the hook, the…
Self-Drilling vs. Self-Tapping: What’s the Difference?
Self-Drilling and Self-Tapping Screws are not the Same Self-tapping and self-drilling screws are…
Anchor Bolt Length Chart
This chart is available for referencing bent anchor bolt lengths. All sizes are in inches. For a…
A325 Bolts vs. A490: What is the Difference?
ASTM A325 Bolts and A490 Bolts ASTM F3125 Grade A325 bolts and A490 bolts are two of the main types…
Using Bold Exotic Materials
Unleashing the Power of Exotic Fastener Materials When it comes to fasteners, strength, durability,…
Anchor Bolts: Types and Uses
Anchor bolts are designed to attach structural elements to concrete. In our industry, anchor bolts…
Structural Bolt Stickout: Minimums and Maximums
Structural bolt stickout is just what it sounds like – it’s the amount of threads protruding beyond…
Rolled Thread vs. Cut Thread Bolts
Rolled Thread vs. Cut Thread There are two types of threads on mechanical fasteners: rolled thread…
A194 Nuts vs. A563 Nuts – Similarities and Differences
A194 Nuts vs. A563 Nuts Occasionally, our customers will ask about substituting one nut for…
Bolt Length Estimation Table for F3125 Grade A325 and A490 Bolts
This table can be used as a guide for bolt length estimation for our structural bolts. Add the…
ASTM Designations – Interpreting the Standards
In other blogs, we discuss the ASTM International, what it is, and how we use them in the fastener…
The Electroplating Process and its Benefits for Fasteners
We’ve discussed a few different types of zinc coatings for corrosion resistance in the past. The…
What is the Difference in Type 1 vs. Type 3 Structural Steel?
When we’re talking about structural bolts, particularly ASTM F3125 Grades A325 and A490, there are…
DTI Washers and TC Bolts: Helping Ensure Torque and Tension
We’ve talked about torque and tension before, and why it’s important to understand that you must…
ASTM A193 B7 Stud Weight Chart
Houston Fastener Manufacturing is proud to offer a variety of A193 B7 studs in a variety of sizes.…
Structural Bolt Coatings
Coating structural bolting assemblies can protect the steel and ensure durability of the bolt, nut,…
Structural Bolt Reuse – Can I Reuse a Structural Bolt?
Every now and again, we get questions on structural bolt reuse, and the answer is always the same:…
Mechanical Joint T-Head Bolt Technical Information
This chart aligns with ANSI/AWWA C111/A21/11-00. If you have any questions about this chart or our…
How to Reapply Bolt Lubricant
How to Reapply Bolt Lubricant Structural bolting components, whether uncoated or galvanized, are…
Can I Fix Misaligned Anchor Bolts?
Issues with Misaligned Anchor Bolts Misaligned anchor bolts can be a major headache. Many…
Understanding and Preventing Fastener Corrosion
Fastener failures occur when the wrong fasteners are being used for a project, or the right…
Impact Tools vs. Screw Guns: What Tool Should I Use for Metal Buildings?
As technology continues to grow and products evolve, we all look for ways to increase productivity…
Hot Heading vs. Cold Heading – What’s the Difference?
The Differences Between Hot Heading and Cold Heading Hot heading and cold heading are the two ways…
Torque vs. Tension – What’s More Important in Structural Bolting?
Torque vs. Tension: Why Torque is Not a Reliable Means for Measuring Tension Often, our customers…
Structural Bolt Head Markings
The ASTM requires structural bolts to be distinctively marked. These bolt head markings include the…
Structural Nut Color: Why Color Doesn’t Equal Coating
Picture it: you receive your order of hot-dip galvanized structural nuts, open the container, and…
Birmingham Fastener Thrilled to Announce Opening of Phoenix Fastener
Expanding the Birmingham Fastener knowledge and expertise to Phoenix, Arizona! Birmingham Fastener…
Suitable Nuts for Use with F3125 Grade ASTM A325 and A490 Bolts
For information on choosing the correct nuts for our F3125 structural bolts, please see the chart…
Birmingham Fastener Announces Pacific Coast Bolt Acquisition
Birmingham Fastener is excited to announce the acquisition of Pacific Coast Bolt Corporation based…
Waterworks Fastener Standards: AWWA, ASTM, and ASME
Waterworks Fastener Standards When we talk about the specifications on our waterworks products, we…
Bolt Strength Requirements by Grade
This chart detailed bolt strength requirements by grade. All specifications below are per ASTM. For…
Electropolishing vs. Passivation – Choosing the Right Finish
Electropolishing and Passivation A lot can go into choosing a finish for your stainless steel…
Type 304 and Type 316 Stainless Steel Fasteners
One of the great things about stainless steel fasteners is the intrinsic protection within the…
AASHTO and ASTM Standard Conversions
AASHTO and ASTM As we have discussed in earlier blogs, ASTM International produces over 12,000…
F3125 Grade A325 and A490 Heavy Hex Bolt Nominal Dimensions (Inches)
This chart details the nominal dimensions of our F3125 structural bolts. You can download a…
Tension-Control Bolt Installation Problems
From a labor standpoint, tension-control (TC) bolts are more than ideal. They only require one…
Birmingham Fastener Announces K-T Bolt Acquisition
Birmingham Fastener is excited to announce the acquisition of K-T Bolt Manufacturing, Inc. based in…
How to Prevent Screw Corrosion on Metal Buildings
Why Screw Corrosion Occurs To prevent screw corrosion, it’s important to understand why corrosion…
Standard vs. Non-Standard Structural Bolts
Sometimes, we’ll refer to a structural bolt as “standard” or “non-standard.” Basically, standard…
White Rust Prevention on Structural Bolting Components
White rust is a common problem in the structural steel industry. It is typically caused by improper…
Houston Fastener Manufacturing: Serving the Oil and Gas Industry
Houston Fastener Manufacturing joined the Birmingham Fastener family in 2019 to spearhead our…
5 Ways Vendor Managed Inventory Can Reduce Your Total Cost of Ownership
Reducing Total Cost of Ownership with a Vendor Managed Inventory Partner As technology continues to…
Fastener Testing Lab: In-House Testing Services at Birmingham Fastener
On-Site Fastener Testing Lab Birmingham Fastener is fortunate to have an in-house fastener testing…
Birmingham Fastener Announces Acquisition of Rubber Gasket Company, Champion
Birmingham Fastener is excited to announce the acquisition of Champion Sales and Manufacturing,…
Value Stream Mapping Class C Components: Vendor Managed Inventory
Value stream mapping is a method of lean management that allows you to visualize your supply chain…
Structural Bolting – How Should I Store Components on the Jobsite?
Proper jobsite storage and handling of structural bolting components can mean the difference…
Can I Put a Hot-Dip Galvanized Nut on a Mechanical Galvanized Bolt?
We have discussed ASTM A325 coatings and their differences before on our coatings blog. The two…
ASTM F3125: What Kind of Structural Bolts Does it Cover?
What is ASTM F3125? In 2015, the ASTM consolidated the standards for structural bolts into F3125.…
Adhesive Anchor Cross Reference
This table can be used as reference to see potential substitutions for adhesive anchors. Download a…
Birmingham Fastener Announces Steel City Bolt Acquisition
April 26, 2021 Birmingham Fastener is excited to announce the acquisition of Steel City Bolt and…
3 Tips to Boost Supply Chain Lead Time
Supply Chain Lead Time Reduction Supply chain managers know that one of the biggest impacts on…
The Benefits Vendor Managed Inventory for C-Component Supply Chains
Vendor Managed Inventory Vendor managed inventory (VMI) systems have a wide variety of benefits to…
Flanged Joint Heavy Hex Bolt Technical Information
This chart aligns with ANSI/AWWA c115/A21.15-99 & C110/A21.10-03. If you have questions about our…
Birmingham Fastener Opens New Branch in Houston
Birmingham Fastener is proud to announce the opening of our newest branch. Houston Fastener…
ISO 9001 – What Does it Mean to be Certified?
At Birmingham Fastener, we pride ourselves in being ISO 9001:2015 certified at our headquarters,…
F3125 Grade A325 and A490 Tensions Control Bolt Dimensions
Birmingham Fastener carries F3125 A325 and A490 TC Bolts in the following dimensions. If you have…
The Importance of Buying American Manufactured Fasteners
Why American Manufactured Fasteners are Best During these uncertain times, the international supply…
Long Life Fasteners – HARDHATz
“HARDHATz,” Birmingham Fastener’s premium long life headed screws, combine the protection of our…
Common Issues with Metal Building Screws
Avoiding Issues with Metal Building Screws While metal building screws are easy to install in the…
Who Creates Structural Bolt Specifications and Standards?
When we talk about structural bolt specification, we drop a lot of acronyms: RCSC, ASTM, ASME, and…
Timber-Tite Post Frame Screws
Timber-Tite Screws are coated with our exclusive B-Kote to meet 1,000 hour salt spray testing and…
Flange Head Drill with Washer Information and Size Chart
These screws are designed for fastening metal wall and roof panels used in metal construction.…
Birmingham Fastener Awarded in Epicor Customer Excellence Awards
Birmingham Fastener Recognized For Outstanding Use of Epicor Solutions and Services to Transform…
Birmingham Fastener Wins 2018 Alabama Manufacturer of the Year Award
Birmingham Fastener Recognized as Manufacturer of the Year for the State of Alabama Birmingham…
Birmingham Fastener Awarded in Epicor Global Customer Excellence Awards
Birmingham Fastener Recognized by Epicor as Business Transformation Winner in Second Annual…
Bent bolts
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