Ultimate Uplift Capacity of Multiplate Helical Type Anchors in Clay

Abstract

In recent years, the use of helical anchors has expanded beyond their traditional use in the electrical power industry. The advantages of rapid installation and immediate loading capability have resulted in their being used in more traditional civil engineering infrastructure applications. Unfortunately, our current understanding of these anchors is unsatisfactory, and the underlying theoretical framework adopted by engineers has proven to be largely inappropriate and inadequate. A better understanding of helical anchor behavior will lead to increased confidence in design, a wider acceptance as a foundation alternative, and more economic and safer designs. The primary aim of this research is to use numerical modeling techniques to better understand multiplate circular anchor foundation behavior in clay soils. A practical design framework for multiplate anchor foundations will be established to replace existing semiempirical design methods that are inadequate and have been found to be excessively under- or overconservative. This framework can then be used by design engineers to confidently estimate the pullout capacity of multiplate anchors under tension loading.