SERVICE PERFORMANCE OF TEMPORARY REMOVABLE MULTIPLE ANCHORS AND CASE HISTORIES

Tony Barley, Single Bore Multiple Anchor Ltd, Harrogate, UK Email: tony.barley@SBMAsystems.com

Goncalo Veloso, Keller Ground Engineering, Wetherby, UK / Single Bore Multiple Anchor Ltd, Harrogate, UK Email: goncalo.veloso@SBMAsystems.com

Dr. Devon Mothersille, Single Bore Multiple Anchor Ltd, Harrogate, UK Email: devon.mothersille@SBMAsystems.com

Abstract

Ground anchors have been used for more than three decades for king post, sheet pile wall, diaphragm and bored piled wall retention. However, research and development in specialist anchor technology over the last fifteen years has made available temporary ground anchors with supplementary benefits: reduction in cost per kN of retention force provided by anchors in soils or weak rocks, in conjunction with the availability of a ground anchor system which on completion allows the complete removal of the entire steel tensile member from the ground. The removal of anchor steel tendons from the ground has made the use of temporary anchors more acceptable and attractive to contractors and owners of adjacent properties and highways. Since the remaining grout filled bore after anchor removal presents little or no obstacle, a development of an adjacent land can therefore be carried out without major physical restrictions.

Introduction Asking an adjacent landowner of a city site if you can drill under his plot leads to a number of questions, probably the two most important are: what is the purposes of the anchors and what is left in the ground when you finish? Well the purpose as we all know is to temporary support the new retaining wall, however, if you are proposing to leave steel in the ground under his property ad infinitum, then he may be understandably very reluctant to authorize this permanent ground contamination. For instance, if in the future a deep excavation for his own new basement is required, the presence of the buried steel would influence the earthworks and if the installation of piles or other services was required it could compromise its installation.

Fixed Length Design Philosophy Multiple anchors consist of a number of short unit anchors founded at staggered depth in a single anchor borehole (Barley 1997). Typical unit anchor fixed lengths are varied from 3.0m to 5.0m depending on the envisaged strength of the ground and the bond capacity anticipated in that ground at that unit anchor founding depth. The use of a multiple of short fixed lengths reduces the effect of progressive debonding encountered in long conventional anchors and allows more efficient load transfer and hence mobilization of higher anchor loads therefore enabling us to achieve very high loads on soils and weak rock.

Tendon Systems Research work on totally removable anchors was started in the mid eighties by the investigation of the capacity of a looped strand around a small diameter saddle (Figure 1). Inspection of a loop after testing did indicate the expected damage to the sheathing but the sheath in the fixed anchor constitutes a barrier to prevent tendon bond to the cement grout and not a protective medium (Figure 2).

Figure 1. Research work on strand Loading around a steel saddle (Barley 1989)

Other Systems which allow removal of the steel tendon from the free lengths (unbonded) have been available for more than a decade, albeit the steel still remains in the fixed length. However, part of the development of the high capacity multiple anchor system has involved the utilization of totally unbonded strand loops within the bore. A plastic coated strand of 12mm or 15mm diameter is pre-bent to 180 looped strands at its midpoint to internal an diameter as little as 60mm. This loop, complete with a saddle placed with the loop is installed to the base of the anchor bore. A second looped strand is installed to a depth 3 or 5m from the base of the bore and third, fourth and fifth etc., at the progressive distances from the base following the SBMA principle .

Figure 2. Example of a looped strand after removal from test arrangement The strand ends pass through their own hollow ram jack and are loaded simultaneously and since all the jacks are coupled to the same hydraulic power pack, the unit anchor loads are always equal. On completion of usage of the temporary anchor the lubricated unbonded strands can be easily withdrawn from the grouted boreholes by the use of a 10T winch (Figure 3) or a crane or where access space is limited by the use of a long stroke stressing jack.

Figure 3. Tendon removal by Winch Method

Performance in Service Working loads of up to 1200 kN and test loads of 3000kN have been achieved in the UK in medium dense sands without failure. The looped strand temporary removable ground anchors performance follows the same criteria as non removable anchors and are also all tested to acceptance test up to 1.25 x working load as per the criteria on BS8081. To evaluate the behavior under load of a temporary removable anchors, a typical example of a proving test up to a test Load of 720 kN is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Proof loading of a temporary removable anchor to Test Load of 720 kN involving four simultaneously stressed unit anchors. A further study (Barley, 2007) has shown that load loss checked after a year in these type anchors range from zero to 5% of the original lock-off load. Hence no unit anchors indicated a loss of load greater than the 10% normally accommodated in anchorages complying with the acceptable load change requirements of BS 8081. These sound performances substantiated by very nominal loss of load ,or in other instances minimal creep displacement, are entirely typical of multiple anchor systems. Conventional anchors which concentrate load over a relatively short single section of the fixed lengths are more susceptible to creep than multiple anchors which distribute load over a multiple of short lengths.

In the removable anchors, strands have been inspected after tendon withdrawal and exhibited no indication of corrosion or corrosive products or indeed any damage to the seven individual wires making up each of the removed looped strands.

Removable Single Bore Multiple Anchors in Doha, Qatar Qatar like many countries in the Middle-East is experiencing tremendous economic growth and this is reflected in its massively expanding infrastructure. The Doha Convention Centre and Tower project comprises some 105No. storeys and is typical of the type of construction that exists in a constantly changing skyline. In a bid to satisfy environmental and physical constraints imposed on the project it was proposed that removable anchor be used to provide temporary support to section of diaphragm wall which had a total perimeter of approximately 1300m and up to three storeys deep. The excavation was carried out in weak limestone (referred to as Simsima Limestone) and was characterised by heavy fracturing and the existence of cavities. Trained site operatives carried out the tendon fabrication, grouting, installation and testing single bore multiple anchors (SBMAs) in Qatar (Figure 5). In highly weathered and fissured Simsima Limestone tested loads of up to 1920kN were achieved without failure. The programme of works also involved the testing of removable SBMAs. After satisfactory proof testing in accordance with PTI (2004) the tendon were completely removed in safe and controlled operation.

Figure 5 Trial anchors installed in weak Limestone, Doha, Qatar

Removable anchors in Hyde Park London, UK The new multi-million pound penthouses at 1 Hyde Park, London, UK required temporary high capacity removable anchors in London Clay for basement support. Over 100 anchors were installed in 2006 and subsequently removed using a 10T winch. No problems are being encountered in removing all the looped strands from the Single Bore Multiple anchors.

Figure 6. Removing anchor pice detail

Removable anchors in Canary Wharf, London, UK In the heart of the financial district of London, construction of the basement of a new offices building required temporary ground anchors to support a diaphragm retaining wall. Due to the constraints with underground tunnels and public and privately owned property, the use of temporary removable anchors was chosen. 141 anchors were installed along different sections of the diaphragm wall. Anchors with working loads ranging from 500kN to 1200kN were installed within the Thanet dense Sands and tested to acceptance up to 1.5x working load. Trial anchors were installed to confirm design assumptions and test loads of up to 2800kN were achieved.

Summary and Recommendations The use of removable tendons in temporary work anchorage is becoming more common owing to the modern advancement and development of ground anchorage technology. In many cities throughout the world including major conurbations such as London, Hong Kong and Singapore it is considered that the abandonment of used prestressing tendons within the ground is unnecessary and unacceptable long term contamination of the subsoil. This removal after temporary provision of safe support of the cofferdam makes the use of anchors more environmentally frienly and more acceptable to adjacent land owners. National and International Codes of Practice for Anchorages should fully acknowledge the extensive development of such available systems (Herbst 1997) and incorporate acceptance criteria for tendon removal from temporary work anchorages.

References British Standard, Code of Practice for Ground Anchorages, BS8081:1989 Trummer F., Stockhammer P., Der wiederausbaubare Litzinanker, System Keller Int. Conf on Anchors in Theory & Practice Salzburg, October 1995 Barley A.D. (1989)Summary of initial saddle tests Keller Ground Engineering Confidential Report Barley A.D., The Single Bore Multiple Anchor System Int. Conf on Ground Anchorages and Anchored Structures, ICE London, November 1997 Pages 65 to 75 Herbst T., Categories of Removable Anchors Int. Conf on Ground Anchorages and Anchored Structures, ICE London, November 1997 Pages 197 to 205 Barley A. D., Edwards M, "Service Performance of Multiple Anchors in Difficult Ground Conditions for both Permanent Anchors and Temporary Removable Anchor usage". International Conference on Anchors November 2007, ICE London