Pullout capacity of inclined plate anchors embedded in sand

Abstract

The pullout capacity of an inclined strip plate anchor embedded in sand has been determined by using the lower bound theorem of the limit analysis in combination with finite elements and linear optimization. The numerical results in the form of pullout factors have been presented by changing gradually the inclination of the plate from horizontal to vertical. The pullout resistance increases significantly with an increase in the horizontal inclination (θ) of the plate especially for θ > 30°. The effect of the anchor plate–soil interface friction angle (δ) on the pullout resistance becomes extensive for a vertical anchor but remains insignificant for a horizontal anchor. The development of the failure zone around the anchor plates was also studied by varying θ and δ. The results from the analysis match well with the theoretical and experimental results reported in literature.