Marine Grade Steel vs. Titanium

So we've all heard about the Tortuga bolt. Titanium glue in. Bitchin.

The problem I am having is that I'd like to place bolts quite a bit deeper than the length of a Tortuga bolt. There are air pockets and softer rock that you can hit while drilling. I'd personally like an 8-10" glue in that I could use. It likely wouldn't get used that often but I'd like the ability to sink a bolt into the earth's core once in a while.

I bet I could easily find such a thing in Marine Grade (316) steel but I'm pretty sure that a titanium version does not exist.

Ideas?

I know you can find long titanium "U" bolts, if you could drill side by side holes straight enough you could anchor one in there.

You may be able to glean these from high dollar engineering sites (i.e. bridges, building foundation).

You could also call as many suppliers as you can, tell them you are a structural engineer and looking for a supplier for titanium expansion bolts and would like some samples (10 inch). Then when you find the ones you like, see if you can place a small order.

Finally, find a Navy "Sea Bee" and see if he can get supplier info, and go glean their dumpster.

you could buy titanium all-thread from macmaster-carr.

mcmaster.com/#96095a140/=4d…

On the North Island of New Zealand in the Wharepapa South area they climb on welded tuff (ignimbrite). The rock has a hard silica cemented surface layer but is dry powder inside. Great climbing, but doesnt hold conventional bolts at all. They use 3/8" or 1/2" stainless rod bent into U shaped staples or bent and welded into eyes and epoxied in place. The rod has transverse grooves ground into it at regular intervals, about an inch apart, to hold in the epoxy. The rods are as much as 10" long. and can be hammer driven through the surface layer before epoxy in place. They are concerned about holding power on overhangs, but I have hung on them without worry. I would ask Bryce Martin at Wharepapa South Outdoor Center wharerock@xtra.co.nz for dimensions and materials. Either 304 or 316 stainless would work unless it's near the ocean, then more exotic stainless is required. www.mcmaster.com or onlinemetals.com are good sources

We have been doing a lot of work on soft rock bolting right down to rock which won´t support body weight (that is below compressive strengths of 700psi) and in conglomerates which are even worse!
We supply glue-in bolts in 304, 316 and for tropical marine applications we supply in 1.4462 super-duplex stainless steel. This material has a 100 year guarantee in warm seawater, is 50% stronger than 316 and 3 times stronger than titanium.
We have supplied these up to 10" long but can go longer if required, as usual our design has no welds which are a major corrosion site. All our bolts are certified to EN959 and the sea water series bolts have a test breaking strain of 102kN.

Jim Titt
Bolt products
Germany

Find a Czech. They have the same problems. I've seen bolts, if that's what you would call them, up to 15 inches long so as to get through surface layers of exfoliated sandstone.