Numerical and analytical investigation on inclined plate anchors in sand

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, based on mathematical expressions of the FE simulated normal and shear stresses along mobilised failure planes. The limit equilibrium solution is shown to produce satisfactory agreement with results from a large database of inclined plate anchors.