Ground Anchors

3.1 Concept & Function

3.2 Typical Details and Installation
3.3 Types of Ground Anchors
3.4 Modes of Failure
3.5 Anchor Capacity
3.6 Anchor Location
3.7 Anchor Testing and Stressing
3.8 Additional aspects
Applications of ground anchors in geotechnical engineering

Deep Excavation Slope Stability

Uplift Resistance
3.1 Concept and function :
To provide a means to support vertical embedded walls through
anchorage in soil / rock mass outside the excavation area ,thus
enabling clear space for excavation and construction

How does it work?

Plate/block anchors vs ground anchors
Unstressed vs stressed anchors
3.2 Typical details
• Fixed anchor length
• Free anchor length
• Anchor head
Remarks
• Anchorage is formed by pressure
grouting around the required fixed
length (LS)

• Tendon is made of steel rods (low

capacity) or cables (wire strands) (high
capacity)

• Tendon is assembled outside with sleeve

and grouting tubes as one unit and
inserted into the borehole after
reaching required anchor length.

• Details shown are good for temporary anchors ( 2 years ). Permanent

anchors require special corrosion protection (costly) measures.

• Anchors are normally stressed after grout has gained sufficient strength
(normally 1 week).
Anchor Installation
1. Drill the hole.
2. Place the anchor assembly (rod + sleeve+
grouting hoses).
3. Make primary grout injection around all
the length (under low grouting
pressure).
4. Wait a few hours, then make cracking
injection with water before mortar
stiffens up.
5. Make secondary grout injection (high
pressure)
6. Make post grout injection (if required)
7. Stress the anchor to required load level.
3.3 Types of
anchors
(as per BS 8081)

Anchor Installation 
1. Drill the hole
2. Place the anchor assembly (rod + sleeve+ 
grouting hoses)
3. Make primary grouting around all the 
length (low grouting pressure).
4. Wait a few hours, then make cracking 
injection with water before mortar stiffen 
up.
5. Make  secondary grout  injection (high 
press)
6. Make post grouting injection ( if required)
7. Stress the anchor to required load level. 
3.5 Anchor capacity (grout-ground bond)
(Canadian Foundations manual)

CHECK OUT CH 4 
R πD Ls fmax Anchor Design Doc!!
Where fmax is the maximum friction between soil and grout

a) Anchors in cohesionless soils

(for low injection pressure anchors, Type B)

fmax σ’z Kf

Computation of the pull-out resistance, R, for grouted anchors in cohesionless soils

can be estimated from the following equation:
R π D Ls σ’z Kf

σ’z = effective vertical stress at the midpoint of the load carrying length (Ls)
Ls = effective embedment length of the anchor
Kf = anchorage coefficient, dependent on the soil type and conditions as given in
table below
Allowable anchor load = , 3
 b) Anchors in clay soils τ
fmax = ∝ ; therefore: φu = 0
cu=Su
R =  ∝
∝ ; ϭ
0.35 0.75; qu
= average undrained shear strength of the clay over the length of
the anchor.
Allowable anchor load = , 3
Maximum fixed length
According to BS 8081: Ls ≤ 10 m (as no benefit is gained from longer
anchorage)
load

Displ
Empirical anchor capacity may be obtained from the following tables:
For high injection pressure anchors in Sand
- Type C- (based on field measurements)
 Remarks on ground anchor capacity

• Anchors should not be formed in soft

or medium clays (cu 0.5 kg/cm2) or
sensitive clays because of large
deformations that can occur, both at
and subsequent to loading.

• Even in stiff clays, some displacement

due to consolidation will take place with
time. This should be considered

• Actual anchor capacity can be

determined by pull-out tests, at least
one very 100 anchors, with a minimum of
one for each soil type.
3.6 Anchor location (preliminary)
• Anchors should be located beyond
the 0.15 H-line and below 5.0 m
from G.S
• To ensure full efficiency of
individual anchors, the spacing
between anchors must be as shown.

Note:
• Final anchor location is to be
checked for overall stability as
shown later.
• Normally D 150 mm
• In sands, may take D ≃ 250 mm if
not otherwise stated (i.e. 1.67 dbh)
• According to BS 8081 anchor location is determined by the green
line in the figure below
Modes of failure of ground anchors

3
c
Summary of the modes of failure in ground anchors:
1. Tendon failure (Fdesign = (0.5-0.625) fpu )
2. Anchorage body failure:
a) Tendon / Grout bond failure ((fcu ≥ 400 kg/cm2)
>>> 10 kg/cm2 for plain bars; 20 kg/cm2 for
deformed bars)
b) Grout rupture/compression failure (fc’)
c) Grout / ground slippage (R = ?, FS = 3); FS may be
increased to 4 if excessive creep is expected.
3. Failure within ground mass ( watch out for rock
discontinuities or weak soil zones)
4. Anchor head failure
5. Long term deterioration (corrosion protection)
6. Excessive displacement (serviceability requirements)
3.7 Anchor testing and stressing (BS 8081)

Three stages of test:

1. Proving test: to qualify material, procedure and
workmanship prior to start of work on site (tests
conducted in the factory, laboratory, field with
similar ground conditions).

2. On-site Suitability test: to prove the suitability of

the anchorages for the site conditions prior to the
start of anchorage production process.

3. On-site Acceptance test: to check the behavior of

EVERY anchor installed; after which the tested
anchor is stressed at the required lock-off load.
i) Proving Test
• At least 3 full scale trial anchorage at similar ground conditions.

• Test is aimed at investigating:

1. Load capacity
2. Load extension behavior
3. Relaxation behavior (loss of load)
4. Creep behavior (continued displacement)
5. Corrosion protection

• Testing covers:
a) Load-displacement behavior at 80% of tendon ultimate load
(design free length checked)
b) Time-dependent behavior (10-day observation at 110% of
design load Tw).

• Acceptance criteria include: free length tolerance, % increase in

displacement with time, % loss of load with time.
ii) On-site Suitability Tests

• At least the first 3 anchorages + further tests for each

anchorage category in terms of geometry, ground conditions
and load capacity

• Proof load Tp: 125% Tw for temporary anchorages: 150%

for permanent anchorages

• Testing:
3 cycles, each taken up to proof load; with 15 min. observation
at Tp, then release and reload to 110% Tw, and lock-off to
start monitoring load-displacement behavior for 10 days.
• Acceptance criteria same as for Proving test
iii) On-site Acceptance Tests

Conducted on every working anchor :

1- two cycle load-displacement tests; each taken up to Tp ,

with 15 min. displacement/load observation period. After
second cycle, reload to 110% Tw then measure residual load.

2-Time displacement observation at residual load for 50 min

Acceptance criteria include free length, % increase in

displacement, or decrease in load with time at residual load.
 3.8 Additional Aspects

a) Corrosion Protection of anchors

b) Multi-stage anchors

c) Anchor removal !

d) Under-reamed anchors

e) When do we go for anchors?

a) Corrosion protection of anchors
Increasing fixed anchor length beyond 10 m
by means of multiple anchorage (needed in poor ground)

Bond stress
distribution in
multiple anchor
systems
c) Anchor removal; why? how?

1) Mechanical Methods
a) Gripnut & plate method (USA)

b) Splitting of anchor bulb

2) Thermal Methods
a) Epoxy resin dissolution (Japan)
b) Oxygen-gas cutting to melt steel and grout locally (France)

3) Explosives Japan)
d) Under-reamed
anchors (Type D)
Best for cu ≥ 0.9 kg/cm2

Questionable for cu = 0.6 – 0.7

Not suitable for cu ≤ 0.5

R = π D L cu + π /4 . (D2 – d2) . Nc . Cub + π . d . l . Ca
• Variables defined in previous slide.
• a reduction factor au = 0.75 – 0.90 is used to account for
underreaming construction method (if no trial anchors are tested)
• Ca = (0.3 – 0.35)cu , Nc ≈ 9; cub: cu at proximal end of anchor
e) When do we go for ground anchors?
(Factors governing the decision to use ground
anchors )
1. Depth of excavation vs wall stiffness.
2. Soil conditions:
- Soft clay: not suitable
- Stiff clay: good for short term only
- Sand/gravel/rock: OK
3. Permissible wall movement (adjacent structures
/ services) >> stressed anchors are good.
 e) When do we go for ground anchors? (Cont’d)

3. Plan shape of excavation

4. Aggressiveness of GW conditions (corrosion
protection very costly)
5. Legal permissions to accommodate anchorages
outside the limits of the construction site.
6. Risk of obstruction of future works (Omer
Makram U/G parking & Metro line)