Uplift Capacity of Anchors in Layered Sand Using Finite-Element Limit Analysis: Formulation and Results

Abstract

The vertical pullout capacity of strip and circular plate anchors embedded horizontally in a layered sandy medium was computed by using the plane strain and axisymmetric lower-bound limit analyses in combination with finite elements and linear optimization. The soil medium below the anchor plate was assumed to be comprised of loose sand. Two different sand layers were considered above the anchor with different combinations of their internal friction angles. For several embedment ratios