ABSTRACT
Drag embedded anchors (DEAs) are bearing plates inserted into the seabed by dragging horizontally with a chain or wire rope. Vertically load anchors (VLAs) are a variant of DEAs that have been developed for taut mooring systems. They are designed to develop high vertical load capacity to resist high angle loading. Methods for estimating anchor load capacity and other aspects of anchor performance, such as embedment depth and required drag distance, have been developed by the US Navy as well as anchor manufacturers. Based on prototype scale tests under various seabed soil conditions on diverse Navy and commercial drag anchors, the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory (NCEL, 1987) developed a convenient empirical prediction method to predict anchor capacity. Their method correlates anchor weight to ultimate holding capacity. Theoretical parametric studies provide useful insights into the relative effects of soil properties and anchor geometry on drag anchor performance.
