Pullout capacity of circular multi-plate vertical anchors in sand - An experimental study

A multi-plate vertical anchor is a structural member designed to resist the horizontal pullout forces to provide stability to retaining structures inland and onshore. The tensile load of a structure is resisted by the multi-plate anchors using a number of plates connected axially along the central shaft. For a given embedment depth and placement ratio considered, the multi-plate vertical anchors generate higher pullout capacity than the singleplate vertical anchors. This paper presents a detailed experimental study to estimate the ultimate pullout capacity of circular multi-plate vertical anchors embedded in the sand. The plate anchors are placed at varying horizontal distances from the sidewall of the test tank. The pullout capacity of the single-plate vertical anchors was compared with the existing studies. The dimensionless breakout factors show that the multi-plate anchor can efficiently replace the existing single-plate anchors. The paper briefly discusses the scale effect, the effect of spacing, and the effect of anchors' placement ratio on pullout capacity. Results show an increase in pullout capacity of double-plate and triple-plate vertical anchors with an increase in embedment ratio and placement ratio. The results also show an increase in the breakout factor of multi-plate anchors with increased spacing between the plates.