Since anchor sleeves are not manufactured for less common diameters such as 1-1/8”, 1-3/8” or 1-5/8, what options are available?

Plastic anchor sleeves are manufactured in standard sizes for common diameters, and these standard parts are mass-produced and stocked by Portland Bolt. Anchor bolt sleeves exist for most diameters, but there are some less used diameters, such as 1-1/8” diameter, for which plastic anchor sleeves are not made. When an anchor sleeve is required for one of the less used diameter anchor bolts, the installer has two options. The first option is to take a sleeve for a smaller diameter anchor bolt and enlarge the holes by cutting away plastic or slotting the sleeve. The obvious downside to this method is that it is labor-intensive, potentially challenging, and also the smaller sleeve would offer less space for the anchor bolt to be adjusted and for the installer to work with.

The manufacturing companies that produce these plastic sleeves recommend a second, less labor-intensive option of using a larger anchor bolt sleeve size and duct taping the sleeve securely to the anchor bolt. For example, if you were installing a 1-1/8” diameter anchor bolt you would use a 1-1/4” diameter sleeve and tape/secure the sleeve into the proper position. This allows the installer to use a standard mass-produced part and install this sleeve with the lowest amount of hassle and labor. As always, an engineer should be consulted to be sure that all aspects are thought through and no conflicts or issues would arise from using either installation option.

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