KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND GEOMATICS ENGINEERING

SEMINAR REPORT ON

ANCHOR BLOCKS AND SUPPORTING PIERS FOR PENSTOCK

SUBMITTED BY

GROUP A7

Ashish Shrestha (43)

Binay Shrestha (44)
Binit Shrestha (45)
Henjil Shrestha (46)
Sanjaya Dhonju Shrestha (47)

SUBMITTED TO

HOD. Dr. Prof. Er. Ramesh Kumar Maskey

1|Seminar Report on Anchor Blocks By Group A7, CIEGIII/II

 Acknowledgement

We are grateful to the department of civil and geomatics engineering for providing us a chance
to experience a seminar and participate in it. We are grateful to our HOD. Dr. Prof. Er. Ramesh
Kumar Maskey for the same.

-GROUP A7

2|Seminar Report on Anchor Blocks By Group A7, CIEGIII/II

Contents
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 4
2. Construction of anchor blocks and support piers ............................................................................. 5
2.1. Construction of Anchor blocks ...................................................................................................... 5
2.2. Construction of Support piers ....................................................................................................... 6
3. Design of anchor blocks and support piers ....................................................................................... 7
3.1. Design procedure .......................................................................................................................... 7
3.1.1. Safety against overturning ........................................................................................................ 7
3.1.2. Safety on bearing ...................................................................................................................... 8
3.1.3. Safety against sliding ................................................................................................................. 8
3.2. Forces acting on the anchor block and side blocks....................................................................... 9
3.2.1. Description of forces acting in Anchor blocks and support piers ........................................... 12
4. Stability check for the anchor block and support pier designed by DAT ENGINEERING
CONSULTANCY (P) LTD for Ghetma Khola Microhydro Project(28 kW) ................................................. 14
4.1. Observation and conclusion from the check .............................................................................. 18
5. References ...................................................................................................................................... 18

List of Figures
Figure 1 Anchor Block Section Figure 2 Composite anchor block section ............................................ 5
Figure 3 Arrangement of wear plate on support piers ................................................................................. 6
Figure 4 Typical section through support pier .............................................................................................. 6
Figure 5 Distances and angles used in anchor block and supporting pier equations ................................. 12
Figure 6 Anchor block as designed in Ghetma HP, section A-A .................................................................. 15
Figure 7 Plan of the anchor block ............................................................................................................... 15

3|Seminar Report on Anchor Blocks By Group A7, CIEGIII/II

1. Introduction

An anchor block is an encasement of a penstock designed to restrain the pipe movement in

all directions. Anchor blocks should be placed at all sharp horizontal and vertical bends,
since there are forces at such bends which will tend to move the pipe out of alignment.
Anchor blocks are also required to resist axial forces in long straight sections of penstock.
Support piers are short columns that are placed between anchor blocks along straight sections
of exposed penstock pipe. These structures prevent the pipe from sagging and becoming
overstressed. However, support piers need to allow pipe movement parallel to the penstock
alignment which occurs due to thermal expansion and contraction.

Anchor blocks are required on the following locations:

 At vertical and horizontal bends of the penstock. A filled penstock exerts forces at
such bends and the pipe need to be properly anchored.
 Immediately upstream of the powerhouse. This minimizes forces on the turbine
housing.
 At sections of the penstock where the straight pipe length exceeds 30m. This is to
limit the thermal expansion of the pipe since an expansion joint will be placed
downstream of the anchor block.

Support piers are required along the straight sections of exposed penstock between anchor
blocks. The maximum spacing of support piers to avoid overstressing the pipe is generally
5m. Thin walled plain pipe can buckle at the support piers with relatively short spans. In this
case the permissible span can be increased by welding a wear plate to the pipe at each
support. This may be economical for pipes larger than 300 mm diameter. Corners of wear
plate should be cut with a radius, to avoid stress concentrations. Note that the wear plate is
also required where the pipe leaves an anchor block, if the span to the first support pier
exceeds that allowed for plain pipe. It is usually not economical to increase the pipe wall
thickness in order to increase the support pier spacing, but this should be considered where
the cost of support piers is significant.

4|Seminar Report on Anchor Blocks By Group A7, CIEGIII/II

 2. Construction of anchor blocks and support piers

2.1. Construction of Anchor blocks

Anchor blocks should normally be constructed of 1:3:6 concrete (1 part cement, 3 parts sand, 6
parts aggregate) with 40% plums and nominal reinforcement. Plums are boulders that are
distributed evenly around the block such that they occupy about 40% of the block volume. The
boulders add weight to the block and therefore increase stability while decreasing the cement
volume required. Hoop reinforcement is required around the pipe to resist cracking of the
concrete due to tensile forces from the pipe. Three 10 mm bars are generally sufficient, as shown
in Figure 1.
The hoop bars should be approximately 150 mm clear of the pipe, and should extend to 100m
from the base, so that the whole weight of the block can be mobilized without cracking. If the
reinforcement is inadequate, the block can crack. A collar or metal tags may be welded to the
pipe to ensure that the pipe does not slide within the anchor block. For downward bends, the
anchor block is mainly in compression, therefore a stone masonry structure (1:4 cement mortars)
can be considered if costs can be brought down. Composite anchor blocks can also be considered
to save cost as shown in Figure 2. Foundation parts and central portion of the block can be made
of 1:1.5:3 reinforced concrete and outer portion of the block can be made of stone masonry in 1:4
(cement: sand) mortar.

Figure 1 Anchor Block Section Figure 2 Composite anchor block section

5|Seminar Report on Anchor Blocks By Group A7, CIEGIII/II

 2.2. Construction of Support piers

Support piers are generally constructed out of stone masonry in 1:4 cement mortars. Dressed
stone should be used for the outside surfaces of the pier. A 140° bearing area from the centre of
the penstock diameter should be provided to support the penstock pipe as shown in Figure.
Placing a steel saddle plate above the support pier where the penstock pipe rests along with a 3
mm thick tar paper as shown in Figure 7.4 minimizes frictional effects and increases the useful
life of the pipe. C-clamps may also be provided to protect the pipe from vandalism and a
sideways movement, but there must be a gap between the surface of the pipe and the C-clamp, so
that axial forces are not transferred to the support pier.
Wooden support piers have occasionally been used in micro-hydro schemes. However, wood is
generally expensive and also requires frequent maintenance such as painting. Steel support piers
can also be used as an alternative to stone masonry, especially at sites where cement is expensive
or the soil is weak in bearing.

Figure 3 Arrangement of wear plate on support piers

Figure 4 Typical section through support pier

6|Seminar Report on Anchor Blocks By Group A7, CIEGIII/II

 3. Design of anchor blocks and support piers

The design of anchor blocks and support piers requires calculation of forces acting on it. The
structures are tentatively sized and the various forces that act on them are resolved. The
minimum calculated block size that is safe against bearing, sliding and overturning is accepted.
Thus the design process requires iterations. Various forces that can act on the anchor blocks and
support piers are as follows:

 Component of the weight of pipe and enclosed water perpendicular to the pipe
alignment
 Frictional force of pipe on the support piers
 Force due to hydrostatic pressure within a bend
 Force due to component of weight of pipe parallel to the pipe alignment
 Force that is transmitted to the anchor block due to thermally induced stresses in the
absence of an expansion joint
 Force due to friction within the expansion joint
 Hydrostatic force on exposed ends of pipe expansion joints
 Dynamic forces at the pipe bends
 Force exerted due to the reduction of pipe diameter
 Force on the anchor blocks or support piers due to the soil pressure acting on the
upstream face

3.1. Design procedure

After calculating all the above relevant forces the procedure for anchor blocks and support piers
requires checking the three conditions of stability as follows:

3.1.1. Safety against overturning

The forces acting on the structure should not overturn the block. For structures that have
rectangular bases, the condition is met if the resultant acts within the middle third of the base.
This is checked as follows:

 Take moments about one point of the block along the face parallel to the penstock
alignment
 Find resultant distance at which sum of vertical force act using the equation:
∑𝑀
o d= ∑𝑉
, where ∑M= sum of moments about chosen point

∑V= sum of vertical forces on the block

 Calculate the eccentricity of the block using the equation:

7|Seminar Report on Anchor Blocks By Group A7, CIEGIII/II

 𝐿
o e= |2 − 𝑑| ,where L= length of the base
 Check whether the eccentricity is less than 1/6th of the base length, i.e.
o eallowable = L/6 & e< eallowable

3.1.2. Safety on bearing

The load transmitted to the foundation must be within the safe bearing capacity limit of the
foundation material. If the transmitted load exceeds the bearing capacity limit of the foundation,
the structure will sink. The bearing pressure at the base is checked by using the equation:
∑𝑉 6𝑒
Pbase = (1 + )
𝐴 𝐿

Where, Pbase = maximum pressure transmitted to the foundation

A= base area of the block

The calculated Pbase must be less than the allowable bearing pressure for the type of soil in the
foundation level.

3.1.3. Safety against sliding

The structure should not slide over its foundation. This condition is checked using the following
equation:
∑𝑉
µ∑ 𝐻 ≥ 1.5

Where, µ = friction coefficient between the block and the foundation. A value of µ = tanɸ, but
not exceed 0.5 is recommended for µ between masonry (concrete) and soil.

8|Seminar Report on Anchor Blocks By Group A7, CIEGIII/II

3.2. Forces acting on the anchor block and side blocks

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DEFINITION OF SYMBOLS USED IN
TABLE L1d = Half the distance from anchor block
centerline to the centerline of the first
α = U/s penstock angle w.r.t horizontal downstream support pier.

β = D/s penstock angle w.r.t horizontal L1u = Half the distance from anchor block
centerline to the centerline of the first
γ = Unit weight in kN/m3 upstream support pier.
γwater = 9.8 kN/m3
γconcrete = 22 kN/m3 L2d = Distance between two consecutive
γmasonary = 20 kN/m3 support piers downstream of the anchor
block.
φ = Soil angle of friction
L2u = Distance between two consecutive
a = Coefficient of linear expansion of pipe support piers upstream of the anchor block.
(oC-1)
L4d = Distance from the anchor block
d = Pipe internal diameter (m) centerline to the downstream expansion joint

dbig = Internal diameter of larger pipe in case L4u = Distance from the anchor block
of reduction in pipe diameter. centerline to the upstream expansion joint

dsmall = Internal diameter of smaller pipe in Q = Flow in the penstock pipe (m3/s)
case of reduction in pipe diameter.
t = Wall thickness of penstock (m)
E = Young’s modulus of elasticity
W = Width of the anchor block in m.
f = Coefficient of friction between pipe and
support piers. Wp = Weight of pipe in kN/m
i.e. Π (d+t) tγpipe material
g = acceleration due to gravity = 9.8 m/s2
Ww = Weight of water in kN/m
h1 = Buried depth of block at the upstream i.e. (Pipe area in m2) x γwater
face.

h2 = Buried depth of block at the

downstream face.

htotal = Total head including surge.

i = Uphill ground slope

Ka = Active soil pressure coefficient as

follows:

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 Figure 5 Distances and angles used in anchor block and supporting pier equations

3.2.1. Description of forces acting in Anchor blocks and support piers

F1 is the component of the weight of pipe and enclosed water perpendicular to the pipe
alignment. If there is a bend at the anchor, however, both the upstream and downstream lengths
of pipe contribute separately, each force perpendicular to the centerline of the pipe segment
which contributes to it.

F2 is the frictional force of pipe on support piers. If the penstock moves longitudinally over
support piers, a friction force on the pipe is created at each pier. A force “F2”, equal to the sum of
all these forces but opposite in direction, acts on the anchor. This force exists only where one or
more support piers are located between the anchor block and an expansion joint. For example, if
an expansion joint is located immediately downhill of the anchor, friction forces on the downhill
length of pipe will not be transmitted to the anchor block from that side. The friction coefficient,
f, depends on the material against which the penstock slides and is as follows:
steel on concrete, f = 0.60
steel on steel, rusty plates, f = 0.50
steel on steel, greased plates or tar paper in between, f = 0.25

F3 is the force due to hydrostatic pressure within a bend. The hydrostatic pressure at a bend
creates a force which acts outward for upward bends and inward if the bend is downward.
This is a major force which must be considered in designing anchor blocks. However, the block
size can be significantly reduced if the bend angle (β - α) can be minimized while fixing the
penstock alignment.

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F4 is the force due to the component of the weight of pipe parallel to the pipe alignment. On a
slope, the component of the weight of the pipe which is parallel to the pipe tends to pull it
downhill and exerts a force on an anchor block. The sections of pipe both upstream and
downstream of an anchor block may have to be considered. The lengths ‘L4u’ and ‘L4d’ in the
equation for the force “F4” acting on an anchor block are the lengths of the upstream or
downstream section of the penstock which is actually to be held by that block. The upstream
section may begin at the forebay or, more usually, at an expansion joint. The downstream section
usually ends at an expansion joint. If the expansion joint downstream of an anchor block is
located near the anchor, as it usually is, the force arising from the weight of the downhill section
of pipe between the anchor and the joint is insignificant and is usually neglected. Also, the
anchor block will not experience this force if the penstock is buried since the ground friction will
resist this force.

F5 is the force that is transmitted to the anchor block due to thermally induced stresses in the
absence of an expansion joint. If an exposed section of a rigid pipe does not incorporate an
expansion joint, thermally induced stresses build up in the pipe and act on the anchor block. The
associated force “F5” may push against the anchor block (with increasing temperature) or pull the
anchor block (with decreasing temperature).

F6 is the force due to friction within the expansion joint. To prevent leaking, the packing within
an expansion joint must be tightened sufficiently. However, this tightening also makes it more
difficult for the joint to accept any longitudinal movement of the pipe. Friction between the
packing and the concentric sleeves in the expansion joint creates a force “F6” which opposes any
expansion or contraction of the pipe. This force is dependent on pipe diameter, tightness of the
packing gland and smoothness of sliding surfaces. If there is not a change in the pipe direction
(α=β) upstream and downstream of the anchor block, the forces (from upstream and downstream
expansion joints) cancel out.

F7 is the hydrostatic force on exposed ends of pipe in expansion joints. The two sections of
penstock pipe entering an expansion joint terminate inside the joint; therefore, their ends are
exposed to hydrostatic pressure, resulting in a force “F7” which pushes against the anchors
upstream and downstream of the joint. This force usually contributes minimally to the total
forces on an anchor since the ratio of pipe thickness to the diameter is low. However, this force
can be significant at mild steel-HDPE joint section (since HDPE pipes are thicker).
Note that htotal is the total head at the expansion joint.

F8 is the dynamic force at the pipe bend. At the bend, the water changes the direction of its
velocity and therefore the direction of its momentum. This requires that the bend exert a force on
the water. Consequently, an equal but opposite reaction force “F8 “acts on the bend; it acts in the
direction which bisects the exterior angle of the bend (same as F3). Since velocities in penstocks
are relatively low (< 5 m/s), the magnitude of this force is usually insignificant.

F9 is the force exerted due to the reduction of pipe diameter. If there is a change in the diameter
of the penstock, the hydro-static pressure acting on the exposed area creates a force “F9” which
acts in the direction of the smaller diameter pipe. If the penstock length is long, then the pipe

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thickness is increased with increasing head. However, the effect of changing the diameter by a
few mm does not contribute significant forces and can be ignored.

F10 is the force on the anchor blocks or support piers due to the soil pressure acting on the
upstream face. If there is a significant difference between the upstream and downstream buried
depth (h1 - h2 > 1 m) of the block then a force will be exerted on the anchor block due to soil
pressure. In such cases, this force should be considered since it has a destabilizing effect.
Note that the resultant of this force acts at 1/3 h1.

4. Stability check for the anchor block and support pier designed by DAT
ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY (P) LTD for Ghetma Khola Microhydro
Project(28 kW)

DATA:

Pipe diameter= 180mm

Pipe thickness=3.5mm

Hgross=92.5m

α =39o β =28o

Distance to u/s support pier=5m L1u=2.5m

Distance to d/s support pier=5m L1d=2.5m

There are 7 anchor blocks provided in Ghetma HP, one each on forebay exit and powerhouse
entrance (to reduce overturning forces in turbine casing), and the rest each on vertical bends.

There are 36 supporting piers separated at a distance of 5m c/c.

The soil is very stiff clay, mostly with rocks.

CALCULATIONS:

Since there is no surge tank, the total head to be taken is the gross head i.e. 92.5m

The anchor block as per design is shown in the figure:

14 | S e m i n a r R e p o r t o n A n c h o r B l o c k s B y G r o u p A 7 , C I E G I I I / I I
 Figure 6 Anchor block as designed in Ghetma HP, section A-A

Figure 7 Plan of the anchor block

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Block volume excluding volume of the pipe is:
= { (1.6 x 1.787) + (0.5 x 1 x 0.8) + (0.6 x 0.8) } x 1.187 – 0.6 x (3.14x0.1872/4)x cos39o
- 1 x (3.14x0.1872/4)x cos28o
= 4.4 m3
Unit weight of concrete (γconcrete) = 25 kN/m3
Weight of block = 4.4 x 25 = 110kN
Weight of pipe, Wp = Π (d+t) tγpipe material
= 3.14 x 0.1835 x 0.035 x 77
= 1.55kN/m
Weight of water in pipe, Ww= Π d2γwater/4 = 3.14 x 0.182 x 9.8 /4 = 0.25kN/m
W= Wp +Ww = 1.8kN/m

Calculation of the relevant forces:

1. F1u = (Wp + Ww) L1u COS α = (1.8) x 2.5 x cos 39° = 3.50 kN

2. F1d = (Wp + Ww) L1d COS β = (1.8) x 2.5 x cos 28° = 3.97 kN

3. F3 = 15.4 htotal d2 sin[(β – α)/2] = 15.4 x 92.5 x 0.182 x sin(39o-28o)/2 = 4.42kN

4. WpL4usin α = 0 (no expansion joints)

5. F7= 31 htotal (d + t) t = 31 x 92.5 x 0.187 x 0.0035 = 1.877kN (insignificant)

6. F8 = insignificant force

7. F9= 0 since pipe diameter is constant

8. Soil force, F10 ;

Here, the soil has high frictional angle so assuming Ka= 1.

γsoil x h12
F10 = cos i x Ka x w = (20 x 0.82 x cos 39o x 1 x 1.187)/2 = 5.9kN
2
The force acts at a distance 1/3 of depth i.e. 0.26m above toe.

The center of gravity of the block is (0.75, 1.45) with respect to O.

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 horizont righti
lever arm vertical-
forc al- ng lever arm righting
Forces(kN) from o(y- component
es compon mome from o(x-axis) moment
axis) (kN)
ent(kN) nt
F1u 3.5 2.2 - - 2.72 - -
F1d 3.97 1.86 - - 3.5 - -
1.590
F3 4.42 2.44 0.652 -3.68 0.6 -2.208
88
1.218
F10 5.9 4.58 0.266 3.71 0 0
28
Wb 110 0 1.45 0 110 0.75 82.5
2.809
sum 11.08 116.25 80.292
16
H V

∑𝑀 83.10116
Here, d= ∑𝑉
= = 0.714848688
116.25

Then, e= L/2 – d = (1.6/2) – 0.715 = 0.085m

But, eallowable = L/6 = 1.6/6 = 0.267m

Since, e< eallowable , it is safe against overturning.

Now, stress on the base is:

∑𝑉 6𝑒
Pbase = (1 + ) = (116.25/ (1.6 x 1.187)) x (1 + 6x0.085/1.6) = 80.72kN
𝐴 𝐿
The bearing capacity of the stiff soil is higher than 200kN/m2. Hence it is safe against
bearing failure.

∑𝑉
Also, µ∑ 𝐻 ≥ 1.5

Here, μ = 0.5 for concrete/masonry on soil

So, 0.5 x (116.25/11.08) = 5.24 >1.5 hence, it is safe against sliding failure.

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 4.1. Observation and conclusion from the check
From the stability analysis of the anchor blocks as designed by DAT ENGINEERING
CONSULTANCY (P) LTD, we found that the anchor blocks were safe against all modes of
failure, such as the failure due to sliding, overturning and bearing capacity failure. However it
can be easily observed that the design is highly conservative and overestimated. The safety value
for sliding is higher than required.

Anchor block design is an iterative process for the optimum design. Thus, we recommend that
the design should be re-evaluated and re-designed for optimization. The feasibility report has
mentioned that the designed were done as per the simple thumb rule. However, optimizing the
resources for its construction would have been more economical.

5. References
 Civil Works Guidelines for MICRO-HYDROPOWER IN NEPAL, Volume 1, Practical
action
 Design guidelines for headworks of hydropower projects (2006), DoED, MoWR
 Micro-Hydropower Source Book, NRECA International Foundation, A. R. Inversin

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