GROUND ANCHOR

1st used for temporary support of excavation systems - before 1970

A ground anchor is a device for transferring a tensile load to a secure

load bearing soil or rock.

An anchor is a tie rod or a steel bar or a cable or multi stranded cables

having tensile strength (fy > 800 MN/m2)

Tie rod is surrounded by cement or some other fixing agent

The steel rod is known as tendon

Bar tendons are commonly available in 26 mm, 32 mm, 36 mm, 45 mm, and 64
mm diameters
Anchor transmit the tensile force from the main structure to the
surrounding soil, and thus becomes a sub-structure in itself.

Different Uses

Used in Deep excavation

 Different Uses

Vertical rock anchor for tying Anchor in tall transmission

Concrete dam with base tower line
Anchor in Dry docks
 Conventional concrete gravity wall

Applications of ground anchors and anchored systems

Benefits of anchored walls over concrete gravity retaining walls for support of a
highway cut include:

• Unobstructed workspace for excavations;

• Ability to withstand relatively large horizontal wall pressures without requiring a
significant increase in wall cross section;
• Elimination of the need to provide temporary excavation support since an
anchored wall can be incorporated into the permanent structure;
• Elimination of need for select backfill;
• Elimination of need for deep foundation support;
• Reduced construction time
Applications of ground anchors and
anchored systems
Various types of anchoring for
sheet-pile walls:

(a) anchor plate or beam,

(b) tieback,
(c) vertical anchor pile,
(d) anchor beam with batter pile
General features of an anchor
Anchorage components for a bar tendon
Main types of grouted ground anchors
Type A: Straight Shaft Gravity-Grouted Ground Anchors

 Typically installed in rock and very stiff to hard cohesive soil deposits using either
rotary drilling or hollow-stem auger methods.

 Tremie (gravity displacement) methods are used to grout the anchor in a straight
shaft borehole. The borehole may be cased or uncased depending on the stability
of the borehole.

Type B: Straight Shaft Pressure-Grouted Ground Anchors

 Most suitable for coarse granular soils and weak fissured rock. This anchor type is
also used in fine grained cohesionless soils. With this type of anchor, grout is
injected into the bond zone under pressures greater than 0.35 MPa.

 The borehole is typically drilled using a hollow stem auger or using rotary
techniques with drill casings. As the auger or casing is withdrawn, the grout is
injected into the hole under pressure until the entire anchor bond length is
grouted.
This grouting procedure increases resistance to pullout relative to tremie grouting
methods by:

(1) increasing the normal stress (i.e., confining pressure) on the grout bulb resulting
from compaction of the surrounding material locally around the grout bulb; and

(2) increasing the effective diameter of the grout bulb.

Type C: Post-grouted Ground Anchors

 Post-grouted ground anchors use delayed multiple grout injections to enlarge the
grout body of straight shafted gravity grouted ground anchors. Each injection is
separated by one or two days.

 Post-grouting is accomplished through a sealed grout tube installed with the tendon.
The tube is equipped with check valves in the bond zone. The check valves allow
additional grout to be injected under high pressure into the initial grout which has
set.

 The high pressure grout fractures the initial grout and wedges it outward into the soil
enlarging the grout body.
Type D: Under-reamed Anchors

Underreamed anchors consist of tremie grouted boreholes that include a series of

enlargement bells or underreams.

This type of anchor may be used in firm to hard cohesive deposits. In addition to
resistance through side shear, as is the principal load transfer mechanism for other
anchors, resistance may also be mobilized through end bearing.
 Vertical and horizontal spacing requirements for ground anchors

The horizontal and vertical spacing of the ground anchors will vary depending on project specific
requirements and constraints, which may include:

(1) Necessity for a very stiff system (i.e., closely spaced anchors) to control lateral wall movements;
(2) Existing underground structures that may affect the positioning and inclination of the anchors; and
(3) Type of vertical wall elements selected for the design.
Contribution of ground anchors to wall stability
The main anchor length divided into two parts:
(i) Fixed length and
(ii) Free length

Inclined Anchor
 The top or upper portion over which no
tension force is transmitted to the
surrounding ground is known as the free
length or stressing length.

This is achieved by placing frictionless

sleeves around the tendon.

Vertical Anchor

The bottom or lower length of the anchor over which the tensile force is transmitted
to the surrounding ground is known as fixed length or bond length.
The fixed length of the tendon is surrounded by main thick grout, known
as primary grouting or anchor grout;

The free length is surrounded by a thin grout known as secondary

grouting
Various types of Belled soil anchors
Design of the Unbonded Length

The minimum unbonded length for rock and soil ground anchors is 4.5 m for strand
tendons and 3 m for bar tendons. These minimum values are intended to prevent
significant reductions in load resulting from seating losses during transfer of load to the
structure following anchor load testing.

Longer unbonded lengths may be required to:

(1) locate the bond length a minimum distance behind the critical potential failure surface;
(2) locate the anchor bond zone in appropriate ground for anchoring;
(3) ensure overall stability of the anchored system; and
(4) accommodate long term movements.

In general, the unbonded length is extended a minimum distance of H/5 or 1.5 m behind
the critical potential failure surface to accommodate minor load transfer to the grout
column above the top of the anchor bond zone.
 Installation of Ground Anchors

STEP 1
 Holes of required size are drilled into the ground by a drill rig up to a desired
depth at the location chosen for installation of anchors.

 Holes will be drilled either vertically or at an inclination as required, with or

without casing.

STEP 2
 The anchor tendon is inserted centrally into the hole.
STEP 3
 A grout, usually cement, is pumped into the space left between the tendon and the
hole, at predetermined grouting pressure.
 The pressures vary for the primary grouting and the secondary grouting.
 Usually, a sheath is provided around the tendon in the secondary grout area to
protect it from corrosion.
 If a casing pipe is used in drilling the hole, it will be withdrawn during grouting.
 The grout is finally allowed to cure.

STEP 4
 A reaction (jacking) and locking system called anchor head is installed on the
anchor at the ground surface or on a structural surface.
STEP 5
 A tensile stress is applied to the anchor by a hydraulic jack to a value somewhat
greater than tie design load of the anchor.

 This value usually varies from 1.25 to 2 times the design load.

STEP 6
 When the load is applied to the anchor, the lock-off system is engaged, and the
applied tension from the jack is released.
 Design of Soil Anchors

The design of soil anchors will depend on the following factors:

(i) Type of anchor system used;

(ii) Type of soil into which the anchor is anchored to and

(iii) Type and pressure of the grout.

 Anchors in Granular soil
Ultimate load carrying capacity, Qu in kN/m2

Fixed anchor length (m), L0

Estimation of anchor capacity in Granular soil
 Vg
The width of anchor, b
0.78 L0

Where, Vg = volume of grout in length L0

L0 = actual bond length (also called fixed anchor length).

Actual ultimate load carrying capacity (Qu)

Qu
 F .S.
Pu

Pu = anchor capacity required to withstand a load of P0 (kN)

Pu = anchor capacity required to withstand a load

= (L0 tan )  . b. P0

P0 = vertical effective stress at mid point of L0

Hence, Qu ≥ 1.5 . (L0 tan )  . b. P0

Anchors in Cohesive Soils

1. Under-reamed circular anchors

2. Straight circular anchors

1. Under-reamed circular anchors


Qu 
4

. D d
2 2
N c . cu   D . l . cu

Where,
Qu = estimated ultimate load carrying capacity of a belled anchor
of given size (kN/m2)
D = under-ream diameter (m)
d = shaft diameter (m)
l = distance between adjacent under-reams (m)
cu = undrained shear strength of clay soil
Nc = bearing capacity factor = 9
2. Straight circular anchors

Qu = estimated ultimate load carrying capacity of the anchor (kN/m2)

= Surface area  Bond strength

Qu  (  .d . L0 ) . Sb

where,
d = diameter of the primary grout bulb (m)
L0 = fixed anchor length (m)
Sb, = soil to grout bond strength (kN/m2)
 Table 1 Types of Soil Anchors and Suitable Soils for their Anchorage

Method Diameter (cm) Gravity Typical Suitable soils for Load

concrete grout anchorage transfer
Shaft Bell
pressure mechanism
type type
(kN/m2)
1. Low pressure 30-60 NA Applicable NA Very stiff to hard Friction
Straight shaft clays; and dense
friction (solid cohesive
stem auger) sands

Straight shaft 15-45 NA Non- 200-1035 Very stiff to hard Friction

friction (hollow applicable clay; Dense cohesive
stem auger) sand & loose to dense
sands

Under-reamed 30-45 75-105 Applicable NA Very stiff to hard Friction

single bell at cohesive soils; and bearing
bottom Dense sands; and
Soft Rock

Under-reamed 10-20 20-60 Non- NA Very stiff to Friction

multi-bell applicable hard cohesive and bearing
soils; Dense sands;
and Soft rock
 Method Diameter (cm) Gravity Typical Suitable soils for Load transfer
concrete grout anchorage mechanism
Shaft Bell type pressure
type (kN/m2)
2. High pressure –
small diameter 7.5-20 NA Non- 1350 Hard clays; sands; Friction
Non-groutable* applicable sand-gravel & end bearing
formation; and in permeable
Glacial till or soil
hardpan
Re-groutable** Friction
7.5 - 20 NA Non- 1380-3450 Same soils are for and bearing
applicable non-regroutable plus:
Stiff to very stiff clay
Varied & difficult soils

Note:

* Friction from compacted zone having locked in stress. Mass penetration of grout in
highly pervious sand/gravel forms ‘bulb’ anchor.

** Local penetration grout will form bulbs, which act in bearing or increase
effective diameter.
Table 1 Soil to Grout Bond Strength Soil Anchors in Cohesive Soils

Type of soil SPT value N Bond strength between

grout & soil (Sb) in kN/m2
Soft clay 2-4 24-36
Silty clay 3-6 24-48
Sandy clay 3-6 36-48
Medium clay 4-8 36-60
Firm clay 6-12 48-72
Stiff clay 8-15 48-96
Very stiffclay 15-30 72-120
Hard clay >30 72-192