Numerical simulation of a ground anchor pullout test monitored with fiber optic sensors

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the load transfer mechanism of a soil anchor during pullout test. The anchor was monitored with fiber optic sensors installed along the tendon and embedded in the grout, which enabled continuous measurements of strains with a spatial resolution of about 10 mm. The measured strain profile along the tendon indicates that the load is not transferred from the tendon to the grout at the same rate along the fixed length. Crack development was verified by measured peaks along the longitudinal strain profile. The in situ measurements were compared with results from finite-element simulations contributing to the interpretation of the in situ results. The load displacement curves and strain distributions obtained with the numerical simulations compare well with measurements. The constitutive model selected for the grout is capable of reproducing the crack development and the numerical simulations suggest that debonding occurred during the anchor pullout test