Anchoring to Concrete

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

The design of anchorages to concrete must address both strength of the anchor
steel and that associated with the embedded portion of the anchors. The lesser
of these two strengths will control the design.

The strength of the anchor steel depends on the steel properties and size of the
anchor. The strength of the embedded portion of the anchorage depends on its
embedment length, strength of the concrete, proximity to other anchors,
distance to free edges, and the characteristics of the embedded end of the
anchor (headed, hooked, expansion, undercut, etc.).

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR STRENGTH OF ANCHORS

This section provides a general discussion of the failure modes that must be
considered in the design of anchorages to concrete. The section also provides
strength reduction factors, φ, for each type of failure mode. The failure modes
that must be considered include those related to the steel strength and those
related to the strength of the embedment. Failure modes related to steel
strength are simply tensile failure [Fig. RD.4.1(a)(i)] and shear failure
[Fig.RD.4.1(b)(i)] of the anchor steel. Anchor steel strength is relatively easy
to compute but typically does not control the design of the connection unless
there is a specific requirement that the steel strength of a ductile Steel element
must control the design.
Embedment failure modes that must be considered are illustrated in Appendix
D Fig. RD.4.1. They include:

• concrete breakout - a concrete cone failure emanating from the embedded

end of tension anchors [Fig. RD.4.1(a)(iii)] or from the entry point of shear
anchors located near an edge [Fig. RD.4.1(b)(iii)]
• pullout - a straight pullout of the anchor such as might occur for an anchor
with a small head [Fig. RD.4.1(a)(ii)]
• side-face blowout - a spalling at the embedded head of anchors located near
a free edge [Fig. RD.4.1(a)(iv)]
• concrete pryout - a shear failure mode that can occur with a short anchor
popping out a wedge of concrete on the back side of the anchor [Fig.
RD.4.1(b)(ii)]
• splitting - a tensile failure failure mode related to anchors placed in
relatively thin concrete members [Fig. RD.4.1(a)(v)]

• Escape de hormigón: una falla del cono de hormigón que emana del extremo
incrustado de los anclajes de tensión [Fig. RD.4.1 (a) (iii)] o desde el punto de entrada
de los anclajes de corte ubicados cerca de un borde [Fig. RD.4.1 (b) (iii)] • Desmontaje:
un desmontaje recto del anclaje tal como podría ocurrir para un anclaje con una cabeza
pequeña [Fig. RD.4.1 (a) (ii)] • reventón lateral: una rotura en la cabeza incrustada de
los anclajes ubicados cerca de un borde libre [Fig. RD.4.1 (a) (iv)] • palanca de hormigón:
un modo de falla de corte que puede ocurrir con un anclaje corto que saca una cuña de
concreto en la parte posterior del anclaje [Fig. RD.4.1 (b) (ii)] • división: un modo de falla
por falla de tracción relacionado con los anclajes colocados en miembros de hormigón
relativamente delgados [Fig. RD.4.1 (a) (v)]
 1. RESISTENCIA A TRACCION NOMINAL DEL ACERO.

2. RESISTENCIA A TRACCION NOMINAL DE LA LONGITUD INCRUSTADA.