What do I do if my anchor drill hits steel or rebar in a post-tension slab?
Stop drilling immediately. Do not force the bit through steel in a post-tension or structural slab. Mark the location, protect the hole, and get direction before relocating anchors or scanning the slab.
Do not force a hammer drill through steel in a structural slab or guess that it is “just rebar.”
Check
Stop drilling and keep the bit from chewing deeper into the obstruction.
Mark the hole location, gridline/room, deck elevation, and affected hanger or trapeze.
Check whether the slab is post-tensioned, structural concrete, metal deck, or has embedded services.
Look for project rules requiring scanning/GPR before drilling.
Ask before shifting anchors, abandoning holes, or changing the support layout.
Steps
Stop drilling and keep the bit from chewing deeper into the obstruction.
Mark the hole location, gridline/room, deck elevation, and affected hanger or trapeze.
Check whether the slab is post-tensioned, structural concrete, metal deck, or has embedded services.
Look for project rules requiring scanning/GPR before drilling.
Ask before shifting anchors, abandoning holes, or changing the support layout.
Say this to your foreman
I hit steel while drilling the anchor for this trapeze at [location]. I stopped right away, marked the hole, and checked whether this slab needs scanning. Do you want me to hold for GPR/structural direction or shift to an approved anchor location?