Determination of Ultimate Uplift Capacity of Plate Anchors in Homogeneous Saturated Clay by Variational Solution

Limited equilibrium theory and variational method are used together to analyze the ultimate uplift capacity of strip anchor embedded in homogeneous saturated clay, where soil stresses satisfy the yielding criteria of Mohr-Coulomb in limited conditions. The function of sliding surface, the normal stress distribution along it, and ultimate uplift capacity can be obtained by this method. And the effects of soil strength, loading eccentricity, and horizontal loading on failure surface and ultimate uplift capacity are investigated by a series of calculations. It is concluded that the method can be applied to predict the ultimate uplift capacity of plate anchors of saturated clay under rapid uplift and loading eccentricity presents more significant influences on uplift capacity and sliding surface. When loading eccentricity is less than 0.5, the breakaway between plate and its underneath soil will not take place. Also, the formulas of factors of ultimate uplift capacity are suggested under central, eccentric uplift loadings and horizontal loading.