Numerical study on plate anchor stability in clay

Although the pullout capacity of plate anchors in clay has been studied extensively, the results considering the coupling effects of anchor inclination, clay non-homogeneity and self-weight are relatively rare. In the present paper, finite-element analyses are carried out to investigate the coupling effects of these factors on the pullout capacity of strip plate anchors in clay. The numerical solutions are presented in the familiar form of pullout capacity factors based on various anchor embedment depth, clay strength profile and clay self weight, and are also compared with existing numerical and empirical solutions. A design procedure based on the data-fitting equations of the present finite-element solutions is also presented for the convenience of design engineers.