A detailed study of the feasibility of anchoring fiber reinforced plastic wires for civil
engineering applications is presented. An experimental investigation using tensile testing
machines is performed, testing anchorages of 1, 7 and 19 wires. Conventional strain gage
and acoustic emission measurement techniques are used. The tests are essential in
determining the failure load and failure mode. However, the experimental data alone do
not provide enough information about the behavior of the anchorage to be used
exclusively in the design process. The results are used to modify the design of the
anchorage system. It is shown that for a successful anchorage system the choice of
material for the load transfer medium is crucial. A solution is presented to overcome the
high stress concentration at the load entry area of the wire into the anchor.
A finite element analysis of the anchors for 1 and for 19 wires is used to assess the
stress and strain fields inside the anchor, to validate the analytical model, and to
determine locations of possible high stress concentrations. Three-dimensional and one dimensional
models, that utilize axisymmetry, are evaluated. The results of the numerical
analysis are used to demonstrate the improvement as a result of a change in material
choice or design of the anchor. It is shown that the modification of the load transfer
medium results in a decrease of 30 % of the average stress level.
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