Effect of dragging anchors

Quantifying the penetration depth of a dragging anchor on a horizontal layer of rockfill provides the possibility to optimize the layer thickness of rockfill layers with a protective function. Current research on this subject is limited and is often aimed at anchor capacities in sand and clay.

Penetration behaviour in rockfill is mainly investigated for protections with a limited width. Anchor dragging tests carried out for a canal expansion project show that as the rock size increases, the penetration depth and the holding capacity of the anchor decrease. A semi-empirical prediction formula is derived.