Sensitivity Analysis of Embedment Depth on the Concrete Cone Failure Capacity of Anchors under Tension

Abstract

Anchors embedded in concrete are critical components for transferring tensile loads from steel superstructures or equipments to concrete foundations, and their behavior depends on various factors, including the effective embedment depth and the mechanical properties of concrete and steel. In this study, the nonlinear behavior of embedded anchors under tensile loading is investigated using the three-dimensional finite element method. This study aims to evaluate the effect of effective embedment depth on the concrete breakout capacity of anchor in tension, as well as to examine stress distribution, damage propagation, and the formation of the concrete breakout cone. The concrete breakout capacity obtained from numerical simulations was compared with the capacity calculated using design code provisions. To this end, in addition to the tensile breakout capacity, tensile and compressive damage contours, along with von Mises equivalent stress distributions, were analyzed from models with different anchor embedment depths. The results revealed that tensile damage initiates adjacent to the anchor head and propagates toward the free concrete surface with increasing load. In specimens exhibiting a distinct failure cone, the highest stress concentration in concrete was observed adjacent to the head of the anchor. Furthermore, with increasing the effective embedment depth, the concrete breakout capacity obtained from the simulations showed a higher increase compared to the code-predicted capacity.