Structural Screws Shear Strength: Insights and Data

Choos­ing the right screws is cru­cial for con­struc­tion projects. The dura­bil­i­ty and safe­ty of any build, whether res­i­den­tial or com­mer­cial, depend on these small yet vital com­po­nents. Struc­tur­al screw shear strength plays a sig­nif­i­cant role in pro­vid­ing robust­ness and reli­a­bil­i­ty in var­i­ous applications.

With a wide range of options avail­able, it’s impor­tant to under­stand their shear strength and ver­sa­til­i­ty. This arti­cle pro­vides builders and con­trac­tors with a com­pre­hen­sive guide to mak­ing informed deci­sions for their con­struc­tion needs.

Understanding Structural Screw Shear Strength and Its Measurement

Shear strength is a crit­i­cal para­me­ter that describes a screw’s abil­i­ty to resist forces that cause it to slide or shear off at the point where it joins two mate­ri­als. This mea­sure is vital in ensur­ing the dura­bil­i­ty and safe­ty of con­nec­tions in con­struc­tion projects.

How Shear Strength Is Measured

The shear strength of struc­tur­al screws is deter­mined through a test­ing process where a force is applied par­al­lel to the screw’s axis. The key steps include:

• Set­up: The screw is placed in a test­ing machine designed to apply a par­al­lel force.

• Force Appli­ca­tion: Force is grad­u­al­ly increased until the screw fails or shears. This force is applied at a con­trolled rate and the max­i­mum load the screw can with­stand before fail­ure is recorded.

• Mea­sure­ment: The crit­i­cal val­ue not­ed is the max­i­mum load capac­i­ty, mea­sured in pounds-force (lbf). This fig­ure rep­re­sents the direct load the screw can sup­port before it shears off.

Significance of Measurement in LBF

Mea­sur­ing shear strength in LBF offers a straight­for­ward under­stand­ing of a screw’s load capac­i­ty. This approach is prac­ti­cal, and it pro­vides direct insights into the per­for­mance of fas­ten­ers under oper­a­tional stress­es. It sim­pli­fies the selec­tion process for engi­neers and builders and ensures that the cho­sen screws can with­stand the expect­ed loads and con­tribute to the struc­tur­al integri­ty of the construction.

This method empha­sizes the direct load-bear­ing capac­i­ty of screws to aid in the design and con­struc­tion of safer, more reli­able struc­tures by ensur­ing that all fas­ten­ers meet the required per­for­mance standards.

The Structural Screw Shear Strength of The LOK Fastener Series: Engineering Excellence for Every Joint

Fas­ten­Mas­ter pro­vides com­pre­hen­sive struc­tur­al shear strength infor­ma­tion for its LOK screws to help builders and con­trac­tors make data-dri­ven decisions. 

List­ed below is an expla­na­tion of each Fas­ten­mas­ter struc­tur­al screw that includes their appli­ca­tions, dimen­sions, and shear strength

Tim­ber­LOK is the solu­tion for secure­ly attach­ing rafters, truss­es, head­ers, and stair stringers that fea­ture sharp points and aggres­sive threads for fast pen­e­tra­tion into dense woods to stream­line the instal­la­tion process.

TimberLOK Dimensions

• Unthread­ed Shank Diam­e­ter: .189 (Inch)

• Out­side Thread Diam­e­ter: .260 (Inch)

• Allow­able Ten­sile: 1,300 (LBF)

• Allow­able Shear: 940 (LBF)

View the Tech­ni­cal Eval­u­a­tion Report™ on the Tim­ber­Lok Fastener.

HeadLOK: Heavy-Duty Versatility

Head­LOK stands out for its ver­sa­til­i­ty across appli­ca­tions, includ­ing deck fram­ing and wood-to-wood con­nec­tions by offer­ing a high­er design shear than tra­di­tion­al lag screws to boost con­nec­tion strength.

HeadLOK Dimensions

• Unthread­ed Shank Diam­e­ter: .19 (Inch)

• Out­side Thread Diam­e­ter: .260 (Inch)

• Allow­able Ten­sile: 1,215 (LBF)

• Allow­able Shear: 965 (LBF)

View the Tech­ni­cal Eval­u­a­tion Report™ on the Head­LOK Fastener.

LedgerLOK: Ledger Board Security

Designed for attach­ing deck ledger boards with effi­cien­cy, Ledger­LOK fea­tures a unique flat head and TORX® ttap® dri­ve sys­tem for a seam­less fin­ish that blends aes­thet­ics with robust fas­ten­ing performance.

LedgerLOK Dimensions

• Unthread­ed Shank Diam­e­ter: .228 (Inch)

• Out­side Thread Diam­e­ter: .305 (Inch)

• Allow­able Ten­sile: 1,833 (LBF)

• Allow­able Shear: 1,235 (LBF)

View the Tech­ni­cal Eval­u­a­tion Report™ on the Ledger­LOK Fastener.

VersaLOK:

VersaLOK Dimensions

• Unthread­ed Shank Diam­e­ter: .228 (Inch)

• Out­side Thread Diam­e­ter: .305 (Inch)

• Allow­able Ten­sile: 1,833 (LBF)

• Allow­able Shear: 1,235 (LBF)

View the ICC-ES Eval­u­a­tion Report on the Ver­sa­LOK Fastener.

ThruLOK: Through-Bolt Alternative

An effi­cient replace­ment for through-bolts, Thru­LOK is ide­al for mul­ti-ply beams, deck posts, and car­ry­ing beams that com­bine hold­ing pow­er with ease of instal­la­tion for scal­able appli­ca­tions and is backed by com­pre­hen­sive test­ing and code compliance.

ThurLOK Dimensions

• Unthread­ed Shank Diam­e­ter: .228 (Inch)

• Out­side Thread Diam­e­ter: .310 (Inch)

• Allow­able Ten­sile: 1,970 (LBF)

• Allow­able Shear: 1,235 (LBF)

View the Tech­ni­cal Eval­u­a­tion Report™ on the Thru­LOK Fastener.

FlatLOK: Multi-Ply Mastery

Specif­i­cal­ly designed for mul­ti-ply dimen­sion­al and engi­neered wood con­nec­tions, Flat­LOK facil­i­tates sin­gle-sided instal­la­tions that are suit­able for var­i­ous ele­va­tions. It com­plies with the lat­est ICC stan­dards to ensure safe use in ACQ or treat­ed lumber.

FlatLOK Dimensions

• Unthread­ed Shank Diam­e­ter: .227 (Inch)

• Out­side Thread Diam­e­ter: .322 (Inch)

• Allow­able Ten­sile: 1,940 (LBF)

• Allow­able Shear: 1,230 (LBF)

View the Tech­ni­cal Eval­u­a­tion Report™ on the Flat­LOK Fastener.

Comparative Insights: LOK Line Versus Traditional Fasteners

When com­pared to tra­di­tion­al lag bolts, Fas­ten­Mas­ter LOK screws stand out for their shear strength, ease of instal­la­tion, and ver­sa­til­i­ty. The LOK line demon­strates a com­mit­ment to inno­va­tion by offer­ing solu­tions that not only meet but exceed the demands of mod­ern con­struc­tion practices.

Installation Guidelines and Best Practices

For opti­mal results, it’s impor­tant to fol­low Fas­ten­Mas­ter’s rec­om­mend­ed instal­la­tion guide­lines and best prac­tices. Using the right tools and tech­niques ensures that each screw per­forms to its full poten­tial in order to con­tribute to the over­all strength and dura­bil­i­ty of the construction.

Secure Your Build with Precision and Strength: FastenMaster LOK Solutions

Every detail mat­ters in con­struc­tion, espe­cial­ly the shear strength of struc­tur­al screws, which under­scores the neces­si­ty for safe­ty in projects. 

The LOK line of struc­tur­al screws by Fas­ten­Mas­ter stands out for its excep­tion­al shear strength, user-friend­ly design, and depend­abil­i­ty to pro­vide endur­ing sta­bil­i­ty for your projects.

Reach out to us today for more details!