Earth anchor

An earth anchor is a device designed to support structures, most commonly used in geotechnical and construction applications.

Earth anchors are used in both temporary or permanent applications, including supporting retaining walls, guyed masts, and circus tents.

The first practical earth anchor was invented in 1912 by Albert Bishop Chance in Centralia, Missouri, in response to an ice storm that knocked down his company’s telephone poles.

It is a horizontal beam, such as a log or steel girder, or concrete block placed crosswise to the load and buried in a hole in the ground.

[8] Upward soil compression created by the anchor is typically exerted in a frustum shaped cone,[9] reflecting: When angled these lateral surfaces generate greater cone-shaped soil resistance than a simple cylinder created by purely perpendicular design.