SUMMARY A general method is presented for the analysis of horizontally embedded anchors in an elastic soil. Provision is made in the analysis for the consideration of anchor shape, layer depth, anchor-soil interface condition, breakaway of the anchor from the underlying soil and interaction between groups of anchors. Application of the analytical technique is illustrated for strip and circular anchors, and these solutions are presented in the form of influence charts which may be used directly in hand calculations to predict the elastic load deflection behaviour of anchor plates for a wide variety of material and geometric conditions. INTRODUCfION Although the behaviour of anchor plates at working loads is of considerable practical importance, previous investigations into the eleastic load-deflection behaviour of horizontal anchors have been restricted to the case of a fully bonded, perfectly flexible or infinitely rigid anchor resting in either an elastic half -space (Fox 1) or within an infinite elastic mass (Selvadurai2). In this paper, an analytical technique will be presented for the analysis of an anchor of general shape buried at a depth h below the surface of an isotropic elastic soil layer (with elastic modulus E and Poisson's ratio II) which extends a further distance D below the anchor plate. The anchor plate itself may be either perfectly flexible or rigid while the anchor-soil interface may be either smooth or rough. In addition, provision is made for slip between anchor and soil as well as breakaway of the anchor from the underlying soil.