REPORT 65 SECOND EDITION

OCTOBER 1980

Design and construction of ground

anchors

T. H. HANNA PhD BSc CEng F l C E

Appendix A Checklists
CORROSION PROTECTION
CONSIDERATIONS

Type of steel used in tendon : Is it suscep- R e method of drilling envisaged

tible t o stress corrosion?
The nature of the structural problem (e.g.
Life of the anchor: retaining wall, dry dock floor, slope)
short term (< 2 years)
long term The consequences of failure of an individual
anchor
Nature of the surrounding environment -
Non-aggressive ground (i.e. ground The tolerance of the structure to movement
saturated by non-aggressive ground water,
:he level of which does not vary or in non- Reliability of methods of stress and strain
saturated ground where there are no ag- analysis available
gressive chemicals present).
Moderately aggressive ground (i.e. ground Economics of different support systems
saturated by soft water whose level varies,
ground saturated by ground water having Need for performance measurement during
an acid pH). life of the anchor system
Very aggressive ground (i.e. ground near to
Unknowns (e.g. creep, earthquake loading,
corrosive chemicals, ground in a very ag-
repeated loading effects)
gressive atmosphere, ground near sea water).
Preliminary protection requirements - t o Access, particularly trespass beneath adjacent
prevent corrosion between anchor instal- property
lation and tensioning
Determination of area of steel t o carry work-
Permanent protection requirements: ing load with safety
fixed anchor zone
free anchor length Unknowns in the design process (e.g. overall
anchor head areas stability)

Are the materials proposed for corrosion Location and condition of underground
projection use approved? services and structures

Are the methods of checking the corrosion

protection systems adequate?
DATA REQUIRED DURING SITE
Does the corrosion protection system allow INVESTIGATION
free movement of the free anchor length?
Soil and rock succession - thickness of
ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED strata
DURING DESIGN OF ANCHOR
SYSTEM Position of ground water table(s)

Strength of soils/rocks and their variability

The required load capacity:
in use
Plasticity of clays
during testing
The working life
Organic content

The nature and aggressivity of the ground Nature of fissures and joints
(soi1,rockand water)at present andin the
future Permeability - local and bulk

63 CIRIA Report 65
 Grading of non-cohesive soils Details of strata encountered

Softening potential of ground during drilling Method of cleaning hole (water or corn-
pressed air)
Use of casing during drilling
Tolerances and any measurements taken
Use of adjacent sites, services and property
and their sensitivity to movement In-situ permeability test data (if any)

Geological history of site Details of delays during drilling

Chemical composition of soil and ground Any other observations relevant t o the future
water anchor construction works

Vibrations from nearby traffic and mach- Record of pressures used during jetting and
inery flushing of the anchor hole

Rate of drilling progress

Stray currents in the ground

Proposed use of the site

Effects of anchor construction methods on DATA REQUIRED FOR TENDON

the ground (e.g. compressed air flushing MANUFACTURE
and vibratory driving of casing)
Strand, wire or bar

DATA REQUIRED DURING Method of load development in fixed

ANCHOR HOLE DRILLING anchor zone

Working load
Title of project
Temporary or permanent use
Contractor
Method of primary and secondary grouting
Engincer
Corrosion protection systems
lnspector
Spacers
Anchor hole niimber
Test load, with respect t o working load
Date
Tests on tendon steel
Time started modulus of deformation
Time completed
Detail of anchor head
Hole length yield
ultimate tensile strength
Hole nominal diameter
Prestressink requirements in the future
Under-reams - size, spacing, method of
forming Cleaning of tendon steel

Hole inclination Size of anchor hole

Casing size and length Storage of tendon steel on site

Method of drilling and type of machine Method of tendon homing

CIRIA Report 65 61

.. . . .. . >
 Special requirements Date
permanent monitoring of load and
movemen t Time started and completed
movements of structure with respect t o
the ground Stressing personnel
Fixed anchor length Anchor number
Free anchor length Free length
Relaxation characteristics of the steel Fixed length

Ground type
DATA REQUIRED FOR GROUTING
OPERATIONS Tendon type

Type of cement Working load

Waterlcement ratio Test load

Air temperature Jack and pump type

Types of additive Rated capacity ofjack

Type of mixing equipment Pressure g a u p range and accuracy

Mixing time Dates of calibration ofjack and pressure

gauge
Grouting pressure
Type of top anchorage head assembly
Quantity of grount injected
Locking-off detail
Test samples taken and results
Initial seating pressure
Tests on aggressiveness of ground water and
Strand pull-in
ground
Details of method of stressing followed
Method of primary grouting
Detail of load measuring system if not
Method of secondary grouting
pressure gauge
Interval of time between completion of Movement of bearing plate and method of
anchor hole drilling and start of grouting movement measurement

Tendon extension

DATA REQUIRED DURING Tendon pull-in at lock-off

ANCHOR STRESSING

Project name

Contractor

Engineer

Inspector

62 CIRIA Report 65
Appendix B Anchor testing details
After installation of the test anchors under conditions similar t o those to be encountered with
the main works, load tests are carried out usually 7 days after grouting of the f u e d anchor un-
less a rapid hardening grout has been used. In order to eliminate ‘bedding down’ errors in the
system, an initialJoad of about 10% of the yield strength ofthe tendon,or up to20%of the
anchor working load, is applied. This defines the zero on the load/extension relationship. Load
is then applied in increments of about 25% of the anchor working load and unloading may be
carried out for every other load increment. The level of stressing of the tendon steel depends on
the type of test and the use of the anchor (temporary or permanent). In the basic type test,
strcssing continues until the yield point of the steel is reached or until the anchor fails by pul-
ling through the ground. In the suitability test, the level of stressing must not exceed about 90%
of the yield strength of the tendon. The anchor working load is normally less than or equal to
50%of the yield strength of the tendon steel. After each load increment has been applied, the
displacement of the anchor top is measured for a prescribed period of time, usually 5 to 10 min
at low levels (less than working load) and up to 1 or 2 h at the final load value, or until the dis-
placement during the last 2 h is less than a limiting value, perhaps 0.2 mm. In addition to record-
ing all the test results, it is essential that the load is measured by a suitable (and recently cali-
brated) load cell, and displacements recorded to 0.1 mm accuracy.

The routine field acceptance testing of each working anchor is less rigorous, the majority
of the anchors being tested to 1.2 times the nominal working load. Again, good practice is to
apply an initial bedding load as previously stated. This load is maintained for a short period,
usually 5 to 15 min, until the anchorage head displacements cease. The anchor is then unloaded
to the initial bedding load value and the permanent displacement nc!ed. The final prestress
force is then jacked into the anchor and locked off. It is good practice t o test about 5% of the

working anchors to 1.S times the working load, taking care not to load the tendon in excess of
90% of its yield strength value. With permanent anchors, the ecceptance test may be taken up
to 1.5 times the working load value (as recommended in the German Code(3s), for example).

When anchors are at very close spacings (< 1 ni), it may be necessary to test a small
cluster of at least three adjacent anchors. The test should be carried out in a similar manner to
that of an isolated anchor, but all anchors in the test group are loaded simultaneously and the
anchor displacement measured.

All loaJ test results are plotted as load/extension diagrams for all load and unload stages.
These diagrams are of limited value and iurther evaluation is necessary to separate the anchor
head displacement into elastic and plastic components. First the diagram of total displacement,
S,against applied load, T , is plotted (Figure 18). The displacement, S , comprises elastic, Se,and
plastic components, Sp, and these individual values are plotted in the bottom part of Figure 18.
These values are obtained during the unload part of the test as shown in the figure. Super-
imposed on the elastic curve is the theoretical elongation of the free anchorage length, and
from the shape of the plotted elastic curve the free tendon length and the friction loss during
pre-stress niay be estimated. In general, the computed free tendon length should not differ
significantly from the designed free anchorage length.

In the standard acceptance test where cycling of the load is not performed, it is only
possible to obtain the final elastic and plastic displacements when the anchor is unloaded to
the initial bedding load. However, if i t is assumed that there is no friction loss in the free ten-
don length, then i t is possible to get a n approxiniate but practical assessnient of the behaviour
of the anchor.

There are nunierous possibilities to the shape of the load!displacement diagram. In the
French Recommendations(” and also in the German Code(3s) criteria are given for anchor
acceptance based on the results of load tests. In the absence of other criteria these may, at
present, be taken as guides for anchor test verification.

ClRlA Report 65 63
 PERIODIC CONTROL AND CHECKING OF ANCHOR TENSION
The frequency of anchor checking varies with the type of project and the amoilnt of anchor
testing carried out during and prior to the main anchoring programme. In general, it is prudent
to re-check a percentage of the anchors during their first year of service. The French Code@)
recommends re-tensioning every 3 months for the first year, every 6 months during the second
year, and thereafter at yearly intervals. In many cases, it is felt that such re-testing of anchors is

.-
C
H

/
Theoretical stretc
of tendon

I
I I
\

7, /

-/
/ o c -
’Measured stretch
of tendon

Figure 18

Load-displacement data
obtained during anchor
load test
1I Friction loss in
free tendon length

64 ClRIA Report 65
 unnecessary and after the anchors have been adequately checked for suitability and acceptance
tested only a few key jobs,where prestress loss and anchor creep are critical, require rechecking
at such close time intervals.
As well as periodic checking, it may be necessary to monitor anchor loads in selected
anchors. The number of checks to be made depends on the nature of the scheme and the
number of design unknowns. Much useful guidance is given in the French Code@),where the
anchors are ciassifieo into caiegories jsiirliiai iu aiiclior isit ieqtiiiemcnk), and i:: t ~ CZ!P-
h
gory a percentage of the anchors is instrumented, varying from 10%of the number of anchors
from 1 to 50,7% of the number of anchop from 5 1 to 500, and 5% of the number of anchors
beyond 501. In general, such load-measuring devices must be reliable, easily read, and not
cause expensive alterations to the anchor head detail.
Again it is felt that every permanent anchored structure does not require permanent load
monitoring, it being better to carry out good site construction control and testing in the major-
ity of cases and concentrate monitoring on a few well understood sites where ground data, con-
struction methods and testing have been well and reliably quantified.

ClRIA Report 65 65

_.
,. . . .
Appendix C Creep determination
During the site test programme, useful data o n the creep behaviour of anchors (particularly in
clay strata) may be obtained in the following manner. After the application o f each load in-
crement (Appendix B), readings are taken of the anchor head displacement as a function of
time, the load being maintained constant. In this manner, a displacement/time figure may be
drawn up as shown in Figure 19. According to the German Code@'), a creep rate constant, Ks,
may b e determined. This constant is equal t o the displacement of the anchor, S, per unit logar-
ithm of time, t

Log (timelt -

S - Anchor displacement
-Anchor working load
Creep coefficient K, -- d(logt1

Maximum permitted
\ 1.5 F,

creep

Figure 19

Time-displacement
relationship for anchor
load test Test l o a d -- 1.5Fw

The creep rate varies with the anchor type and its method of construction, the applied anchor
force and the ground type. Useful guidance is given in the German Code(3s) as follows.
1. For basic test work readings of displacement are taken at 1,3,5, 10, 30 min then at 2 , 4 , 8
and 24 h as detailed below, and the creep coefficient, K,;determined

ti6 CIRIA Report 65

 Load stage Observation period
Basic test* Suitability testt Coarse soil Fine soil
4 FW 01) (h)

0.3 0.4 0.25 0.50

0.45 0.8 0.25 0.50
0.60 1.o 1 .o 2 .o
0.75 1.2 1.o 3.0
0.90 1.5 2.0 24.0

*Initial zero load < 0.1 t Initial zero load < 0.2 F,
os =yield strength of tendon Fw= Anchor working load

2. For permanent anchors, the acceptance test is carried up t o 1.5 Fwand time displacement
readings are recommended over periods of IS min, although this time may be longer, depend-
ing on the creep rate observed. Anchors are satisfactory as long as the permanent displace-
ments and creep rates correspond t o those obtained in the suitability test and the creep rate
at 1.5 Fwis less than 2 mrn.
The general recommendations given in DIN 4125(35),Sheets 1 and 2, should be used as a
guide only bearing in mind that it is based primarily on anchors of Types 1 and 2 only.*

*In the UK. engineers have used load loss over a period o f 24 h os a criterion for the rejection of
anchors (Sectior! 6.2). In general, the practice followed is t o accept anchors where the load loss is less than
nbout 5% over a 24 h period. but where loses nre greater then further observations should be made to
determine the cause o f the load loss.

ClRIA Report 65 67