Research on the Uplift Capacity Characteristics of Helical Anchors in Sand

CHEN Qingsheng; LIU Wei; LI Linhe; BU Sifan; QU Songzhao; ZHANG Yue; GUO Yonghua

doi:10.3724/j.gyjzG25060702

Volume 56 Issue 7

Jul. 2026

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Article Navigation > INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION > 2026 > 56(7): 243-252

CHEN Qingsheng, LIU Wei, LI Linhe, BU Sifan, QU Songzhao, ZHANG Yue, GUO Yonghua. Research on the Uplift Capacity Characteristics of Helical Anchors in Sand[J]. INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION, 2026, 56(7): 243-252. doi: 10.3724/j.gyjzG25060702

Citation:

CHEN Qingsheng, LIU Wei, LI Linhe, BU Sifan, QU Songzhao, ZHANG Yue, GUO Yonghua. Research on the Uplift Capacity Characteristics of Helical Anchors in Sand[J]. INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION, 2026, 56(7): 243-252. doi: 10.3724/j.gyjzG25060702

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Research on the Uplift Capacity Characteristics of Helical Anchors in Sand

doi: 10.3724/j.gyjzG25060702

1. State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company Economic and Technical Research Institute, Lanzhou 730050, China;
2. School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, Henan University of Urban Construction, Pingdingshan 467036, China;
3. Henan Electric Power Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd., China Electric Power Construction Group, Zhengzhou 450199, China

Received Date: 2025-06-07
Available Online: 2026-08-31
Publish Date: 2026-07-20

Abstract

Abstract

Helical anchors are widely employed in marine engineering， transmission line foundations， and wind turbine installations due to their advantages of minimized soil disturbance， reduced environmental footprint， and superior uplift resistance. To resolve significant inconsistencies and applicability limitations in existing theoretical models for uplift capacity prediction， this investigation combined systematic laboratory model testing with advanced numerical simulations to elucidate the uplift bearing characteristics and failure mechanisms of helical anchors in sandy soils. The uplift capacity coefficient （N_q） and lateral pressure coefficient （K_u） for varied sand states were empirically calibrated using the Chinese Technical Code for Transmission Line Foundation Design （DL/T 5219-2023）. Critical findings demonstrated that： 1） the Modified Mohr-Coulomb （MMC） constitutive model achieved >10% higher accuracy than the conventional Mohr-Coulomb （MC） model； 2） progressive soil strain-softening， governed by circumferential stress redistribution around the anchor periphery， intensified with embedment ratio （H/D）； 3） load distribution exhibited plate-spacing dependency， transitioning from 30%/70% （bottom/top plate） at 1D spacing to 20%/80% at 2D spacing； 4） at H/D > 4， single-helix anchors developed localized failure， while multi-helix systems exhibited a hybrid “conical shear-independent” failure mode； 5） uplift capacity growth featured a distinct inflection point at H/D = 5-6， with rapid enhancement in shallow embedments （H/D < 5-6） and progressive attenuation in deep embedments （H/D > 5-6）， establishing 5-6 as the critical embedment ratio for sandy soils； 6） parametrically calibrated N_q and K_u coefficients enabled high-accuracy uplift capacity predictions， providing a validated theoretical framework for helical anchor design in geotechnical practice.
- helical anchor foundation,
- uplift capacity,
- sandy soil strain-softening,
- laboratory model testing

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References(34)

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