See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/266021265

The Role of Soil Anchors in Construction Projects

Article  in  Archives Des Sciences Journal · April 2012

CITATION READS

1 4,337

3 authors, including:

Khairul Anuar Kassim Ramli Nazir

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
200 PUBLICATIONS   2,289 CITATIONS    142 PUBLICATIONS   1,508 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Older Alluvium Properties View project

Intelligent prediction for evaluation of single pile bearing cpaacity using Pile Dricving Analyzer (PDA) datas View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Ramli Nazir on 24 September 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Archives Des Sciences Vol 65, No. 4;Apr 2012

The Role of Soil Anchors in Construction Projects

HAMED NIROUMAND (Corresponding author)
Department of geotechnical engineering, Faculty of civil engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
E-mail: niroumandh@gmail.com

K. A. Kassim, R. Nazir
Department of geotechnical engineering, Faculty of civil engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

The research is financed by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)

Abstract
The main aim of this paper is to describe of soil anchors such as helical anchor, plate anchor, grouted
anchor and pile anchors in soils although the short part is discussed on importance and performance of plate
anchors in non-reinforced, reinforced and grid-fixed reinforced (GFR) system in cohesion less soils. GFR is
a new tied up system with innovative design, method and material using fiber reinforcement polymer (FRP)
which can be tied up the geosynthetics to soils. It is expected from using geosynthetics, grid-fixed
reinforced (GFR) to increase the uplift response, cost effective and speed of analysis and design in
construction projects.
Keywords: Grid Fixed Reinforced (GFR), FRP, Soil Anchors, Helica, Plate, Grouted, Uplift Response

1. Introduction
Many structures experiences overturning moments due to lateral loads which results in a combination of
tension and compression responses at foundation level. The design of some structures need to foundation
systems to resist uplift forces. In this conditions, an effective and safety design method can achieved trough
the use of tension elements that these elements are referred to ground anchors. This element are typically
fixed to the structure and embedded in the ground to effective depth so that they can resist uplifting loads.
Soil anchors typically used to resist such uplift loads, although they also provided as a measure to increase
the soil stabilization. These system used for retaining wall (Figure 1), transmission towers (Figure 2),
foundations (Figure 3), sea walls (Figure 4), pipelines (Figure 5). The soil anchors are involved different
types such as screw anchors (Figure 6), grout injected anchors (Figure 7), anchor plates (Figure 8), anchor
piles (Figure 9), soil hook system (Figure 10).
The design of many structures need to foundation systems to resist vertical or horizontal pullout loads. As
part of a larger effort to improve the performance of foundation systems, the development of guidelines for
anchor system design and installation. The different structures like transmission towers, tunnels, sea walls,
buried pipelines; retaining wall and etc are subjected to considerable pullout forces. In such cases, an
absorbing and economic design solution may be obtained through the use of tension members. These
elements, which are related to as anchors, are generally fixed to the structure and embedded in the ground
to effective depth so that they can resist uplifting forces, will safety. The anchors are a thin foundation
system designed and constructed specifically to resist any pullout force or overturning moment placed on a
structure. Generally, anchors are used to transmit different forces from a structure to the soil. Their strength
is obtained through the shear strength and dead weight of the surrounding soil. The different types of
anchors used in geotechnical engineering and anchors are including of:
Grout system
Helical system
Plate system

18 ISSN 1661-464X
Archives Des Sciences Vol 65, No. 4;Apr 2012

Soil hook system (SHS)

These examples would indicate that few soil anchors used to transfer loads from superstructures to denser
soils, the presence of lateral loads would induce an uplift reaction on the soil anchors. The design
requirement is therefore based on both compressive and tensile criterion for the successful implementation
of a structure’s response although tensile criterion is more important compared to compressive criterion in
soil anchors. To fulfill these criteria, symmetrical anchor plates are usually employed. They are more
effective compared to other soil anchor types. Anchor plates can be casted-in-place by excavation.
Construction in cohesion less soil for symmetrical anchor plates is also comparatively easier compared to
cohesive soils. With the increasing use of cast-in-place anchor plates to resist uplift forces, the need for a
rational design procedures become apparent. This would account for soil properties at the intended anchor
plate location and the anchor plate-soil-predicted response.

Figure 1. using the symmetrical anchor plates in retaining wall

19 ISSN 1661-464X
Archives Des Sciences Vol 65, No. 4;Apr 2012

Figure 2. transmission towers subjected to uplift forces

Figure 3. using the anchors in foundations

20 ISSN 1661-464X
Archives Des Sciences Vol 65, No. 4;Apr 2012

Figure 4. using soil anchors in seawall

Figure 5. using the soil anchor in pipelines

21 ISSN 1661-464X
Archives Des Sciences Vol 65, No. 4;Apr 2012

Figure 6. screw anchors

Figure 7 grouted anchors

22 ISSN 1661-464X
Archives Des Sciences Vol 65, No. 4;Apr 2012

Figure 8 symmetrical anchor plates

Figure 9 anchor piles

23 ISSN 1661-464X
Archives Des Sciences Vol 65, No. 4;Apr 2012

Figure 10. soil hook system

2. The problem of soil anchors

Most of the soil anchoring are involved a grout base in construction projects. The installation can take
several days because grout need to special condition in non-reinforced soils in construction. The
symmetrical anchor plate can be installed in soils without having to grout it. Most of the ground anchoring
system currently proposed results have significant underlying assumptions based on experimental results of
the anchoring system in this country that it would appear some general lack and problems. The concern
exists for the amount of uplift response and failure zone of symmetrical anchor plates in cohesion less soil.
The advantage of using geosynthetics, grid-fixed reinforced (GFR) and numerical analysis methods to
investigate anchors behavior can solve some lacks and problems such as uplift response and failure zones in
symmetrical anchor plates. Grid-Fixed Reinforced (GFR) is a new tied up system with innovative design,
method and material using fiber reinforcement polymer (FRP) which can be tied up the geosynthetics to
soils. It is expected from using geosynthetics, grid-fixed reinforced (GFR) and numerical analysis to
increase the uplift response, cost effective and speed of analysis and design in construction projects.

3. Conclusion
According to the current review, grouted anchors need to grout in their construction that this is a
limitation in zones of cold climates. Although this system need to excavation and their speed is low in
construction due to performance of grout. Although plate anchors don’t need to grout but they have much
limitation such as need to excavation, low speed in construction and their applicants are few due to uplift
forces. The Helical system is a good system for different parts because don’t need grout, excavation and
their speed in good in construction but their applicants are limit. It is important that different researchers
in the world can extent different anchors with easy condition. In order to extent new anchors, the authors in
this paper are testing new anchors and their regards to geotechnical society for decrease of problems in
different anchors in near future althogh using geosynthetics and grid-fixed reinforced (GFR) to investigate
anchors behavior is solved some lacks and problems such as uplift response and failure zones in
symmetrical anchor plates.

References
Braja M Das (1990). Earth Anchors. Elsevier.
Chance (2004). Helical Pier Foundation System. www.abchance.com
Chosun E.S.(1999). The Appraisal Moment Capacity of Short Pile Subjected to Lateral Load in Sand.

24 ISSN 1661-464X
Archives Des Sciences Vol 65, No. 4;Apr 2012

Ph.D Thesis, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Clemence S. P. and Pepe F. D. (1984). Measurement of Lateral Stress Around Multihelix Anchors in
Sand. ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal, Vol. 7, No 1-4, pp. 145-152.
Ghaly A., Hanna A., and Hanna M. (1991). Uplift Behavior of Screw Anchors in Sand. Journal of the
Geotechnical Engineering Division ASCE. pp. 773-793.
Ghaly A. and Hanna A. (1994). Ultimate Pullout Resistance of Single Vertical Anchors. Canadian
Geotechnical Journal. p.p. 661-671.
Mitsch M.P. and Clemence S.P. (1985). The Uplift Capacity of Helix Anchors in Sand. Uplift Behavior
of Anchor Foundation in Soil ASCE, pp. 26-47.
Munson B. R., Young D. F. and Okiishi T. H. (1990). Fundamental of Fluid Mechanics. Joghn Wiley
and Sons.
Niroumand H. and Kassim K.A. (2011). Soil Hook System as an Innovative Soil Anchor. Academic
Publishing. Germany
Niroumand H. and Kassim K.A. (2011) Uplift response of square anchor plates in dense sand.
International Journal of Physical Sciences. Volume 6, Issue 16, 18 August 2011, Pages 3938-3942
Niroumand H., Kassim K.A. and Nazir R. (2011) Uplift response of symmetrical circular anchor plate
in sand. African Journal of Agricultural Research,Volume 6, Issue 28, 2011, Pages 6057-6063

25 ISSN 1661-464X

View publication stats