High strength and hardness make concrete a valuable structural material. But these are attributes that complicate attaching anything to concrete or masonry.
Concrete or masonry anchors are the only options for this work. Two kinds—powder-actuated fasteners and mechanical fasteners—are the most widely used around the shop and farm.
Powder-actuated tools use small-caliber blanks. A powder charge drives a hardened steel fastener. With a basic model, you insert a concrete nail into the barrel of the tool, put a blank in the firing chamber and place the barrel against the object you're trying to attach. When you whack the end of the tool with a hammer, it fires the nail.
More sophisticated designs look like handguns. They use strips of blanks and operate semiautomatically. Powder charges—from .22 caliber to .27 caliber—are rated for the hardness of the concrete.
Powder charges are not designed for heavy structural loads, but are ideal for nailing down 2 x 4 sleepers or attaching furring strips. Check into any rules; some states require certification before using these potentially dangerous tools. Follow manufacturer's instructions carefully, and wear eye and ear protection.
Mechanical anchors come in several styles. This class of concrete anchor makes a connection between the concrete and another object by either expansion or friction. There are lots to choose from, but they all require you to bore a hole in the concrete.
Light- to medium-duty anchors include masonry screws (Tapcon is one well-known brand) and anchors that are driven into the pilot hole with a hammer. Some of these look like a crooked nail. They can usually be pried out if you need to remove them, but are meant to be permanent. Masonry screws can be removed at will.
Wedge and sleeve anchors are for more demanding applications. They are capable of supporting the kind of structural loads you'd see in connecting a deck ledger to a concrete foundation or securing heavy machinery to a shop floor. They work by forcing part of a steel assembly against the sides of the pilot hole, making them stronger than a lag screw and lead shield.
For drilling pilot holes in concrete, a hammer drill or rotary hammer will do a faster, neater job than an ordinary drill.
In choosing a concrete anchor, consider the weight it will support, and match the anchor to the load.
There are four types of loads to consider: shear (the load applied perpendicular to the fastener), tension (load pulling straight out), static (a load that is constant) and dynamic (a load that is not constant, such as a load on a fastener that supports something that vibrates or moves).
A good hardware dealer can help you choose the right type of anchor and provide more detailed instructions on how to place them.
There's also a good deal of information on the Internet. Check with manufacturers such as Simpson Strong-Tie for product information (www.simpsonanchors.com).