Test it before you replace it.
Told your davit bases or roof anchors need replacing? A visual inspection can't see how well the anchors still hold in the roof slab, so replacing them looks like the only safe answer. We load test them in place, and a professional engineer puts the result in writing. Davit base anchors go to the full design load: five times the davit's working load. Only the ones that fail get repaired.
or call 647-250-7377
FOR CONDO BOARDS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS
Told your davit bases need replacing?
A visual inspection only checks condition. It can't tell you how well anchors cast into the concrete still hold, especially with no drawings.
You can hire us directly, without a contractor or consultant.
FIVE TIMES THE WORKING LOAD
Tested to the full design load
The anchors are loaded to the pull they would see under the full design load, five times the davit's working load, and held there while the sensors read.
SET CRITERIA
Passed or failed on set criteria
No loss of load during the holds. No anchor slip, nut movement or cracking. Peak readings on repeat cycles essentially the same. No measurable permanent movement once the load comes off.
YOUR RECORDS
An engineer's letter for your logbook
Signed by a professional engineer, it states what each base's anchors were proven to, in line with your roof anchor plan. It covers the anchors and their hold in the roof slab.
ONLY WHAT FAILS
If a base fails, we design its repair
We design the repair or replacement for that base's anchors only.
HOW WE TEST
Same anchors. Same pull. No load past the edge.
A test beam pins into the davit socket, and a jack under its far end pushes up on the roof side. The jack force is set so the anchors carry the pull they would see under the full design load, without anything hanging past the roof edge.
Set the test
We measure each base and work out the jack force before we arrive. It is not raised on site.
1
Seat and zero
A small seating load goes on first, and the sensors are zeroed.
2
Check the plate at half load
We hold at half load and check the base plate is behaving the way the calculation assumes before going further.
3
Hold the full load, then unload
The full load is held for at least 2 minutes with no loss of load. Then it comes off, and any movement is recorded.
4
FOR CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS
When a calculation can't settle it.
No drawings, an installation nobody can see, or a load nobody designed for. We design the test, build the fixture, run it, and report the results against acceptance criteria set from code and project requirements.
Guards and railings
Guard and railing assemblies load tested in place, before they're accepted or put back into service.
Anchor and masonry tie pull tests
Post-installed anchors (mechanical and adhesive), cast-in steel anchors and retrofit masonry ties proof loaded on site, so the work is verified to the test load before it's accepted.
Slabs and larger assemblies
Suspended slabs and larger structural assemblies load tested in place when a change of use, new equipment, damage or missing drawings leaves their capacity in doubt.
ROOF ANCHORS
Roof anchors get a direct pull.
A hollow jack on a reaction frame pulls straight out on each anchor. [Kevin: confirm the test load basis for roof anchors]
You get the results in writing with the rest of the roof.
ON THE ROOF
Measured, not judged by eye.
An in-line load cell, a force gauge under the jack, reads the force. Sensors on the anchors read any movement. Every cycle is logged on a laptop on the roof, and the readings go in your test report.
Load cell
An in-line load cell under the jack reads the force through every hold.
Displacement sensors
Sensors on the anchors read any movement, wired to our data logger.
Recorded on site
The load and every sensor are logged through each load cycle, and the readings go in your test report.
Checked before site
Sensors are checked against a milling machine's digital readout in our shop before they go to site. [Kevin: confirm]
TEST RECORD · DAVIT BASES
[City] condominium.
The board was looking at replacing its davit bases. We tested the existing bases in place first, in October 2026, over two days.
THE RECORD
Scope: test the existing bases before deciding on replacement 01
Tests: [n] bases, four tests over two days 02
Letter: [what it confirms for each base's anchors] 04
[Name the building, if the board agrees.]
Only a base whose anchors fail gets a repair design.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Before you call.
Does this replace our annual inspection?
No. Ontario still requires an annual inspection by a competent person, and that checks condition. Our test shows what the anchors held. Keep our letter with your logbook.
Can the test damage a base that passes?
We load in stages and stop at half load to check the base plate before going to full load. The jack force is worked out before the test and isn't raised on site. A base only passes if there's no measurable permanent movement once the load comes off. [Kevin: confirm]
Does the test check the davit arm too?
No. It covers the anchors and their hold in the roof slab. The davit arm, the base steel and its welds, and the roof structure under the base are separate checks. [Kevin: say whether you offer them]
Does window cleaning have to stop?
[Kevin: answer]
Our anchors were drilled in. Do they need retesting?
CSA Z91 recommends retesting systems that use post-installed fasteners on a set cycle. Ontario's window cleaning regulation doesn't make it a requirement. When we review your plan, we'll tell you what we can confirm and what needs checking.
GET A QUOTE
Send us your last inspection report.
And your roof anchor or rigging plan, if you have one. Contractors and consultants: send the drawings and spec for the guards, anchors or slab you need tested. We usually respond within one business day with next steps or a short list of questions.
What happens next
A short call on what needs testing, access and timing. Then a scope and price for the testing, and a test date.