Numerical modeling and mechanical analysis of an innovative soil anchoring system

In this paper, the pull-out performance of an innovative system for soil anchoring is mechanically interpreted on the basis of a preliminary finite element investigation. The system consists of a tie rod equipped with thick steel sockets, extruding into the soil to increase the overall pull-out bearing capacity. The effectiveness of the anchorage is shown to be mainly due to the steel sockets, producing two correlated strength mechanisms: a direct one, associated with the shear/flexural strength of the sockets themselves; and an indirect one, in the form of a remarkable increase in the normal confinement on the tie rod and hence in the mobilizable shear stresses. The numerical results are finally exploited to conceive a simplified mechanical model for the interpretation/prediction of the pull-out anchor performance.