An excavation is needed for the construction of a high-rise building in

uniform medium dense sand with an SPT N value of 20. The groundwater
table is at 20 m below the ground surface. The depth of the excavation is 11
m. The unit weight and friction angle of the sand are 11 kN/m 3 and 34,
respectively. A temporary anchored wall is proposed to retain the soil during
the excavation. The horizontal spacing of the anchors at the same elevation
is 1 m. Sheet piles are used as the wall facing and have a sufficient
embedment depth for toe resistance. Determine the bond and total lengths
of the upper and lower anchors.

Solution
1. The angle for potential critical failure plane from the horizontal is
34
=45 + =45 + =62
2 2
2. The bond length anchors should start from the location of greater of 1.5
m or H/5 beyond the critical failure plane. For H = 11 m,
=11/5=2.2 m.

The horizontal distance for the upper anchor from the back of the wall
facing to the possible start point of the bond length, x 1 , is
HH 1
x 1= + cos
tan tan sin ( + )

112.5 2.2
+ cos 15 =7.45 m
tan 62 tan 15 sin ( 15 +62 )

Considering the minimum overburden depth z min=4.5 m , the horizontal

distance for the upper anchor from the back of the wall facing to the
possible start point of the bond length, x 1' , is

z min H 1 4.52.5
x 1' = = =7.46 m
tan tan 15
'
Since x 1 > x 1 , 7.46 m is used to calculate the unbonded length as

follows :
'
x1 7.46
Lub1 = = =7.72m
cos cos 15
The overburden depth of the second anchor is obviously greater than
z min=4.5 m , the horizontal distance for the second anchor from the

back of the wall facing to the possible start point of the bond length,
x 2 , is
 HH 1H 2
x 2= + cos
tan + tan sin ( + )

112.53 2.2
+ cos 15 =5.59 m
tan 62 + tan 15 sin ( 15 +62 )

x2 5.59
Lub2 = = =5.79 m
cos cos 15
The horizontal distance for the lower anchor from the back of the wall
facing to the possible start point of the bond length, x 3 , is
H H 1H 2H 3
x 3= + cos
tan + tan sin ( + )
112.533 2.2
+ cos 15 =3.34 m
tan 62 + tan15 sin ( 15 +62 )

x3 3.34
Lub3 = = =3.46 m
cos cos 15
3. The apparent earth pressure diagram is used to estimate the anchor
loads. Since the anchored wall is to be constructed in sand, the diagram
for sand is used. The coefficient of the active lateral earth pressure is
34
( )
K a=tan 2 45 =tan2 45
2 (
2
=0.283 )
The total lateral thrust is
Pa=0.65 K a H 2=0.65 0.283 11 112=244.84 kN / m

The maximum lateral earth pressure is

Pa 244.84
p= = =26.23 kPa
H1 H4 2.5 2.5
H 11
3 3 3 3

4. The horizontal anchor loads for the two anchors can be calculated using
the tributary area method as follows :
H
(
2
2) ( 2
3 )3
T H 1= H 1+ 2 p= (2.5)+ 26.23=83.06 kN /m
3 2

H 23
=( + H ) p=( + (3)) 26.23=77.05 kN /m
2 3 23
TH2 3
2 48 2 48

H 23
=( + H ) p=( + (2.5) )26.23=70.77 kN /m
3 3 23
TH3 4
2 48 2 48
 Considering the horizontal spacing of the anchors at 1 m and the
inclination of the anchors is 15, the anchor design loads for the upper
and lower anchors are :
T s 83.06 1
T d( H 1 )= H 1 h = =85.99 kN
cos cos 15
T H 2 sh 77.05 1
T d( H 2 )= = =79.77 kN
cos cos 15
T H 3 sh 70.77 1
T d( H 3 )= = =73.27 kN
cos cos 15

5. Since the site aggressive condition is unknown and the anchored wall is
temporary, class II corrosion protection is selected. A 26-mm diameter,
grade 1035 prestressing steel bar with 60% of the SMTS equal to 341
kN is suitable for the anchor. The minimum trumpet opening size of 64
mm, corresponding to a 26-mm-diameter bar, based on class II
corrosion protection can be selected.
6. Considering the medium sand has an SPT N value of 20, an ultimate
unit bond stress, a =400 kPa , is selected. For a straight shaft anchor
with a diameter of drill holes of 64 mm (same as the trumpet opening)
in sand, the bond length can be estiated by the following equation :
Td( H1) 85.99
Lb 1= = =1.07 m
d DH a 3.14 0.064 400

T d( H 2 ) 79.77
L b 2= = =0.99 m
d DH a 3.14 0.064 400

T d( H3 ) 73.27
Lb 3= = =0.91 m
d DH a 3.14 0.064 400

Therefore, the total lengths of the upper and lower anchors are
L1=Lub 1+ Lb 1=7.72+1.07=8.79 m

L2=Lub 2+ Lb 2 =5.79+ 0.99=6.78 m

L3=Lub 3+ Lb 3=3.46+0.91=4.37 m