Three-Dimensional Large Deformation Finite-Element Analysis of Plate Anchors in Uniform Clay
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 2
Abstract
Three-dimensional large deformation finite-element (FE) analyses were performed to investigate plate anchor capacity during vertical pullout. The remeshing and interpolation technique with small strain approach was expanded from two-dimensional to three-dimensional conditions and coupled with the FE software, ABAQUS. A modified recovery of equilibrium in patches technique was developed to map stresses after each remeshing. Continuous pullout of rectangular plate anchors was simulated and the large deformation results for strip, circular, and rectangular anchors were compared with model test data, small strain FE results, and plastic limit solutions. Interface conditions of no breakaway (bonded) and immediate breakaway (no tension) were considered at the anchor base. The effects of anchor roughness, aspect ratio, soil properties, and soil overburden pressure were investigated. It was found that the anchor roughness had minimal effect on anchor performance. For square and circular deep anchors under immediate breakaway conditions, the maximum uplift capacity increased with soil elastic modulus, which suggests that lower bound limit analysis and small strain FE analysis may overestimate the capacity. The soil beneath the anchor base separates from the anchor at a certain embedment depth near the mudline, once tensile stresses were generated. The ratio of separation depth to anchor width was found to increase linearly with the ratio of soil undrained shear strength to the product of soil effective unit weight and anchor width and was independent of the initial anchor embedment depth.
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Acknowledgments
The work described here was supported by the Australian Research Council through Discovery Project Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDDP 0344019. This support is gratefully acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 2 • February 2010
Pages: 355 - 365
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 19, 2008
Accepted: Aug 3, 2009
Published online: Aug 6, 2009
Published in print: Feb 2010
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