In construction, there is often a wide choice of which fasteners are the best option for the job. When the requirement is for a solid, durable and reliable fastener to act as an anchor or permanent attachment the spade bolt may be the right choice and the best option.
The spade bolt is a very easy to identify type of bolt. It can be larger or smaller in both length as well as diameter. In most cases, as these bolts will be slightly longer than other bolts because of the use of a bolt as an anchor. In this way, it is similar to an eye bolt.
Options
Unless designed for a specific type of application, these types of bolts are typically designed with a long and more pronounced flat end. This allows them to be inserted through the material and then tightened with the corresponding nut.
To allow the correct strength through the length of the bolt, there is an optimal level of diameter to length. Bolts that are long and thin are going to have more risk of bending than those correctly designed for with the stress that the bolt will have to withstand.
For this reason, it is often important that the bolt be custom designed for a specific application. This can also include the type of coating used on the bolt to help boost corrosion resistance for use in specific types of environments such as high humidity, corrosive chemicals or even when exposed to marine settings that are particularly problematic.
The Top
There will also need to be a consideration for the top of the bolt. As the name implies the head is shaped somewhat like a spade end of a shovel. However, the spade shape can be long and narrow or larger and much wider.
Different requirements will also dictate the way the wire or other material will be attached to the spade bolt. Some may have one or two holes and some may even be designed without any holes depending on the specific requirements. The hole or holes can be of different sizes or uniform in their dimensions.
Spade heads may be rounded or flat at the top and threads may go from the base of the head to the end of the of the shank or threads may only be used at the bottom portion of the bolt.
