The Combined Bearing Capacities of Anchor Chain Segment by Considering Its Actual Geometry and Roughness

Abstract

The soil resistances along the embedded ground chain affect the pull-out capacity of anchor as they determine the magnitude and direction of tension at the padeye. To facilitate analyses, the chain was usually simplified as a cylindrical line. The chain segment with actual geometry, buried deeply in clayey soil, is studied using a large deformation finite element approach to overcome severe distortion of soil elements around the chain. The uniaxial resistances obtained by the large deformation analyses are verified by comparison with the existing model tests and simplified solutions, followed by presentation of the yield envelope against combined loading. Both the probe test and swipe test are used to form the yield envelopes, and their results have good consistency. The influence of roughness of chain–soil interface on the soil resistances is quantified as well. It is found that the envelope of the chain segment with actual geometry is smaller than that against the simplified cylindrical shape; therefore, the most convenient design may not be the safest option.