Variation of Horizontal Pullout Capacity with Width of Vertical Anchor Plate

Abstract

The variation of pullout capacity of vertical strip anchor plates with width was studied while considering the effect of mean normal stress on the peak friction angle in a granular soil domain. This analysis was performed by using lower-bound finite-element limit analysis in conjunction with linear programing. The study was conducted for a wide range of anchor widths (B) and embedment depths (H) for both loose and dense sands. It was determined that the pullout capacity factor (Fγ = Pu/γBH) increases with decreasing values of normalized anchor width (γB/σA), where Pu is the ultimate pullout load; γ is the unit weight of soil mass; and σA is the atmospheric pressure. The rate of change for increments of Fγ with γB/σA was found to be more pronounced when the anchor is embedded in loose sand and at greater embedment depths.