Numerical Simulation of Drag Anchor Installation by a Large Deformation Finite Element Technique

Previously published finite element analysis of drag anchors only involved the pullout capacity of the anchor. There are no finite element (FE) simulations of the installation of drag anchors probably because of two restrictions. First, during the anchor installation, the installation line is needed, which is difficult to be simulated in the FE analysis. Second, the anchor installation that involves large deformation of surrounding soils can not be solved using the classical FE method. In the present work, the installation line is constructed by connecting cylindrical units with each other using connector elements. Then it is introduced into the installation of drag anchors, which is simulated by a large deformation finite element analysis using the coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) technique. By comparing with theoretical solutions, including the tension and profile of the installation line embedded in soils, and the movement direction, drag force, drag angle and trajectory of the anchor, the FE simulation of the drag anchor installation is well verified. The present study also demonstrates that the CEL technique is effective for simulating the anchor-line-soil interactional problems.