Drop-in anchors

These anchors are machine screw threaded and come with an expansion cone. You can use a setting tool to drive the cone to expand the anchor.

Some drop-in anchors have lips, allowing them to mount flush with the concrete surface. However, experts advise that you use an anchor without a lip if you want to mount below the surface, and you can use these types of fasteners for overhead anchoring.

Machine screw anchors

These come with a pre-assembled expander cone and a caulking sleeve made of lead.

You’ll need a setting tool to push the caulking sleeve, as the expander cone causes the sleeve to expand, filling the hole.

However, these anchors are short, so do not use them in overhead applications.

Wedge anchors (Stud anchors)

These popular pre-assembled anchors have a bolt body with machine screw threaded studs and come with an expander end plug.

They’re designed for concrete applications and require a pre-drilled hole with a diameter equal to theirs.

You can use a hammer to drive the anchor. When you do that, the expander plug causes the anchor to expand, eliminating torque requirements.

There are some variants of wedge anchors. They are ideal for heavy-duty applications.

Sleeve Anchors

These anchors are designed for heavy-duty construction. They come with pre-installed screws or threaded studs that expand once you insert them into pre-drilled holes.

As you tighten the nut or screw, their internal expanders expand the anchor’s sleeve, gripping the hole tightly. Sleeve anchors are usually not as strong as wedge anchors, though.

Sleeve anchors have different head shapes and can be used in masonry and concrete constructions.