Post-Installed Anchor Safety Guidance

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore (ACES) and Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) issued a joint circular on 1 September 2026 covering key considerations for connections using post-installed anchors (PIAs). The circular responds to recurring shortcomings in PIA design and construction that BCA says have resulted in structural deficiencies. It provides practical guidance on connection design, material selection, product qualification, installation and quality assurance; it is intended for Qualified Persons (QPs), builders and other industry stakeholders (BCA/ACES/IES, 1 September 2026).

Design and construction responsibility

QPs are to incorporate the circular's considerations into their designs and ensure proper implementation during construction. Builders must install PIAs according to approved plans under the supervision of the QP's site supervisor. If site conditions differ from the design assumptions, or installation cannot follow the approved plans, the QP must be notified and consulted before changes are made. BCA states that deviations involving anchor type, location, configuration or drilled depth without the QP's concurrence are strictly prohibited. The circular does not transfer all safety responsibility to a product supplier or installer (BCA/ACES/IES, 1 September 2026).

Connection robustness

The guidance gives particular attention to tension and hanging structures because failure of one tension member may not be safely redistributed and can contribute to progressive collapse. Shear connections are preferred where practicable, but they still require proper design, including consideration of concrete edge breakout. Where tension connections are used, the design should provide sufficient redundancy so that an isolated failure does not overload remaining anchors or members. For new construction, cast-in connections are recommended instead of post-installed connections where practicable; this is a recommendation tied to connection circumstances, not a universal ban on PIAs (BCA/ACES/IES, 1 September 2026).

Materials, product qualification and local standards

Anchor material and corrosion protection should match environmental exposure and intended service life. For external applications such as façade and cladding fixings exposed to weather, the circular says corrosion-resistant stainless-steel anchors should generally be specified, with higher corrosion resistance considered in marine or high-chloride conditions. PIA products should hold a valid European Technical Assessment (ETA) under the relevant European Assessment Documents, depending on the anchor type and intended application. An ETA is product- and condition-specific: products with ETAs are not automatically equivalent, and design values and optional assessments can differ (BCA/ACES/IES, 1 September 2026).

Interpretation boundary

The circular is engineering guidance for safe design and construction; it does not provide one anchor product, one capacity value or a universal approval for every application. Designers must assess the actual connection, loads, base material, edge distances, environmental exposure, product qualification scope and installation conditions. The circular also reminds QPs of their duties under the Building Control Act and subsidiary regulations, and builders must follow approved plans and supervision arrangements. Readers should therefore use the relevant standards and qualified professional assessment rather than infer that any ETA or any stainless-steel anchor is suitable for every project (BCA/ACES/IES, 1 September 2026).