Numerical and analytical investigation on inclined plate anchors in sand

Abstract

The paper investigates the ultimate capacity of inclined plate anchors in sand through a series of finite element (FE) analyses. The FE simulations adopted a sophisticated bounding surface plasticity model that accounts for stress and density dependent behaviour, thus portraying a realistic estimate of the shear stresses and shear strains within the failure mechanism. The simulations considered a strip anchor with different plate widths, plate inclination angles and shallow embedment ratios in dense sand. The FE results show good agreement with previously reported experimental data. A limit equilibrium solution is subsequently proposed to predict capacity of inclined strip anchors in sand, b..