Anchors

The 2007 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) addresses anchors in Sections 253,
261, and 26
Table of Contents:
A! "lace#ent Considerations
$! Co##on Ty%es of Anchors & 'nstallation
A. Placement Considerations:
The distance (et)een the anchor and the %ole is *enerally (ased on the load the anchor is
re+,ired to hold, and the anchor ty%e! There are other considerations that are dealt )ith
in this cha%ter as )ell!
Anchors are *enerally %laced fi-e (5) feet fro# an e.istin* anchor! This is done to ens,re
the soil s,rro,ndin* the e.istin* anchor is not loosened )hile installin* the ne) anchor!
/ei*hts to lead ratio #eans that for e-ery one foot of %ole hei*ht that %lace yo,r
attach#ent, yo, %lace the anchor one foot a)ay fro# the %ole!
101 ratio is o%ti#,#
201 ratio is *ood
301 ratio is the #ini#,#
1hen identifyin* the need to ha-e yo,r %lant *,yed at a s%ecific location, yo, #ay
o(ser-e another ,tilities2 anchor! This anchor #ay ha-e an a-aila(le o%en eye! 3o, #,st
first *et %er#ission fro# the anchor o)ner %rior to occ,%yin* that o%en eye )ith yo,r
*,y!
These are 4eye5 (olts that are attached to their anchor rod a(o-e *rade!
1hen all a-aila(le eyes on the rod are occ,%ied, so#e ,tilities #ay allo) the ,se of
a,.iliary eye attach#ents! This hard)are is cla#%ed to the e.istin* rod a(o-e *rade, and
ena(les another *,y to (e attached to the anchor!
Ne)ly installed anchor rods sho,ld ha-e no #ore than 125 of e.%osed rod a(o-e *rade!
Anchor rods sho,ld (e %laced in lead )ith the facilities they are s,%%ortin*! The rod
sho,ld (e ai#ed to)ards the s%ot on the %ole )here the *,y is attached ()ith the
e.ce%tion of side)al6 *,ys)!
Soil Ty%es: Soil testin* is necessary to deter#ine the %ro%er anchor ty%e! A soil %ro(e is
%erfor#ed )ith a #echanical soil test %ro(e tool that is scre)ed into the soil! As it
dis%laces the soil, %ro(e installation tor+,e is #eas,red in inch7%o,nds on a tor+,e *a,*e,
)hich is an inte*ral %art of the installin* tool! "ro(e tor+,e readin*s are then co#%ared
)ith the infor#ation on the Soil Classification 8ata Chart and translated into the
a%%ro%riate soil classification!

Ease#ent Considerations0 An easement is the ri*ht of ,se o-er the real %ro%erty of
another! 't is distin*,ished fro# a license or %er#it that only *i-es one a %ersonal
%ri-ile*e to do so#ethin* on the land of another ,s,ally the %er#ission to %ass o-er the
%ro%erty )itho,t creatin* a tres%ass! Ease#ents #ay (e considered %,(lic or %ri-ate! A
%ri-ate ease#ent is li#ited to a s%ecific indi-id,al s,ch as the o)ner of an ad9oinin*
land! A %,(lic ease#ent is one that *rants the ri*ht to a lar*e *ro,% of indi-id,als or to
the %,(lic in *eneral, s,ch as the ease#ent on %,(lic streets and hi*h)ays! 3o, #,st
consider land ,se ease#ents )hen %lacin* an anchor:
"er#it Considerations0 There are #any different %er#its that #ay (e re+,ired that are
related to constr,ction acti-ity of this ty%e, incl,din* ;re*on 8e%art#ent of
Trans%ortation, City, <,nici%al, and others! "lease cons,lt the necessary a*encies to
ens,re yo, are in co#%liance )ith the *o-ernin* a*encies!
=ocates0 The ;re*on >tility Notification Center (;>NC) is the one7call a*ency
dedicated to safe*,ardin* citi?ens and constr,ction %ersonnel )ho )or6 aro,nd ,tilities,
as )ell as safe*,ardin* the ,nder*ro,nd infrastr,ct,re of %i%es, #ains and lines )hich
(rin* ,tilities to yo,r co##,nity! Callin* at least t)o )or6in* days (efore (e*innin* any
e.ca-ation %re-ents da#a*e to ,nder*ro,nd facilities, ser-ice interr,%tions, and (odily
in9,ry! The n,#(er is 1-800-332-2344!
B. Common Types of Ancors and !nstallation
"late
/eli. @ Scre)
E.%andin* @ $,st
<anta Aay
S)a#%
Aoc6
Plate ancor0
The Cross7"late anchor is #ade for installation in holes drilled (y %o)er di**ers!
$eca,se the si?e of the hole does not affect holdin* ca%acity, the sa#e a,*er that is ,sed
to di* the %ole holes on trans#ission %ro9ects can di* the hole! Cross7"late anchors are
installed in a dia*onal (ored hole, )hich is ,nderc,t so the anchor is at ri*ht an*les to the
*,y! A rod trench is either c,t )ith a trenchin* tool or drilled )ith a s#all %o)er a,*er!
$oth anchor and rod trench sho,ld (e refilled and ta#%ed!

"eli# $ %cre& ancor0
Scre)7in anchors are reco##ended for softer soil ty%es, Classes 577 in Ta(le 1! They do
not )or6 )ell in roc6y soils! Scre)7in anchors are ,s,ally installed (y t)o %eo%le
rotatin* a lo* (ar threaded thro,*h the eye, (,t #ay also (e installed )ith a %o)er dri-e
#achine! Scre)7in anchors can also (e ,sed in a%%lications )here an anchor )ill (e
e#(edded in concrete!
'#pandin( $ B)st ancor0
4$,st5 E.%andin* Anchors e.%and to ta6e f,ll ad-anta*e of the a-aila(le area! All ei*ht
(lades )ed*e into ,ndist,r(ed earth! There is no )asted s%ace (et)een (lades! This
anchor sho,ld (e installed in relati-ely dry and solid soils! The effecti-eness of the
anchor is de%endent ,%on the thoro,*hness of (ac6fill ta#%in*!
*anta +ay ancor:
<ANTA AA32s are dri-en into the *ro,nd, not a,*,red or tor+,ed, nor is a hole d,* or
drilled! There is Bno dist,r(anceB or Bdis%lace#entB of soil! >nli6e other anchorin*
syste#s, <ANTA AA3 act,ally co#%acts the soil aro,nd itself 7 a clean, safe and si#%le
o%eration!
The anchors are dri-en )ith con-entional hydra,lic@%ne,#atic e+,i%#ent that is readily
a-aila(le )orld)ide! ;nce dri-en to the %ro%er de%th, the rod@tendon attached to the
anchor is %,lled to rotate the anchor into ,ndist,r(ed soil 7 li6e a to**le (olt! This is
called BANC/;A =;CC'NDB the anchor (,sin* the <ANTA AA3 Anchor =oc6er)! The
anchor is %,lled ,%on to reach the holdin* ca%acity re+,ired )hich is #eas,red (y a
*a,*e on the BANC/;A =;CCEA!B Each anchor is i##ediately %roof loaded to the
e.act ca%acity re+,ired!
%&amp ancor: No %ict,re or installation a-aila(le
S)a#% anchors can also (e (,ried lo*s that (race a )ood %ole and are ,sed in #arshy
and s)a#%y terrain (also called s)a#% (race or (race anchor)!
+oc, ancor0
Aoc6 anchors are standard in the constr,ction ind,stry for roc6y areas! They are
a%%ro%riate for soil Classes 071 in Ta(le 1! They re+,ire drillin* a hole for insertion of a
threaded roc6 anchor! The anchor can then (e ce#ented into %lace if desired! Dro,tin*
is necessary )ith soft, cr,#(lin* roc6s or if )eatherin* is e.%ected! The hole is (ored
)ith a hand or %o)er drill, lar*er than the dia#eter of the ,ne.%anded anchor! The
anchor is then dro%%ed into the hole, and the eye is threaded )ith a (ar and rotated ,ntil
the anchor has e.%anded fir#ly a*ainst the sides of the hole! The anchor #,st (e ali*ned
)ith the *,y loads, and sho,ld (e installed at least 12B (305##) into solid roc6! The
anchor )ed*es and e.%ands a*ainst )alls of solid roc6! ;nce it is set, the #ore %,ll on
the rod, the ti*hter it )ed*es!


Testin( te Ancor:
A dyna#o#eter is ,sed to test the holdin* ca%acity of an anchor (or #essen*er strand)!
;ne end is attached to the anchor eye, and the other to a chain hoist that is te#%orarily
attached to the %ole! Tension is %laced on the dyna#o#eter (y ratchetin* the chain hoist
till the desired holdin* ca%acity is o(ser-ed!