The six-degree-of-freedom behavior of drag embedment anchor installed in clay

This study investigated five parameters relevant to the kinematic behaviours of drag embedment anchors (DEAs), including the fluke-shank angle, the initial depth, the line thickness, the installation angle and the loading rate. A six-degree-of-freedom magnetometer system with a magnetic sensor was applied to simultaneously record the movement and orientation of the model anchor. Five groups of drag embedment tests were performed in clay with a linearly increasing shear strength profile. The anchor trajectories, pitch angles and installation load in each group were systematically compared and sufficiently analysed. This study contributes a further understanding of the kinematic behaviours of the DEA during embedment and provides a possible optimising guide in the future design of the DEA.