Experimental Investigation on the Anchorage Performance of a Tension–Compression-Dispersed Composite Anti-Floating Anchor

Abstract

Rapid advancements in construction technologies have accelerated the development of complex and deep underground structures, raising concerns about the impact of groundwater on structures, particularly anti-floating measures. Traditional tensioned anchors, commonly used for preventing flotation, suffer from limitations like low pull-out bearing capacity, shallow critical anchoring depth, and localized stress concentration. To overcome these limitations, this paper introduces a tension–compression dispersed composite anchor, which combines casing, load-bearing plates, and tensioned anchors. Comparative tests were conducted between these composite anchors and traditional tensioned anchors to analyze their anchoring behavior. Our results show that tensioned anchors exhibit a stable axial force distribution as anchoring length increases. By identifying abrupt changes in the axial force curve, optimal anchoring lengths for load-dispersed anchors can be determined, thereby enhancing rock and soil strength utilization. The tension–compression-dispersed composite anchor outperforms tensioned anchors, with 1.44 times the ultimate bearing capacity for equivalent anchoring lengths and 1.1 times the capacity for an additional 1 m length. It also displays superior deformation adaptability and structural ductility under high-bearing loads compared to tensioned anchors with extended anchoring lengths. Effectively mobilizing the strength of the lower anchoring segment within the rock and soil results in a lower critical anchoring depth and a more uniform distribution of lateral friction resistance. In conclusion, the tension–compression-dispersed composite anchor offers significant advantages, making it a promising engineering solution for anti-floating anchor systems in complex underground environments.