Ultimate Uplift Capacity of Bell-Shaped Anchor in River Sand Using Finite Element Software “ABAQUS”

Abstract

A 2-dimensional axisymmetric finite element analysis has been carried out to determine the ultimate uplift capacity of bell-shaped anchor embedded in river sand. Seven types of belled anchors with varying bell diameter (0.125 m–2.0 m) have been chosen in the present investigation. Anchor has been considered as a linear elastic material and the sand as an elasto-plastic material. General purpose finite element software ABAQUS has been used for the finite element analysis. Results obtained from the numerical analysis have shown that increase in the embedment depth (H) to bell diameter (D) ratio increases the values of ultimate uplift capacity of anchor irrespective of friction angle, ϕ and anchor diameter. In the present study, the scale effect is found to have a large influence on the calculated breakout factor (Fq) irrespective of the values of H/D ratio of anchor and also friction angle of sand. Based on the data obtained in the present numerical analysis, a non-linear power model has been developed for estimating Fq in terms of H/D ratio and tanϕ. The developed power model has been found to be very much useful within the range of H/D ratio from 0.5 to 5.0 and the range of ϕ from 32° to 43°.