2

Theory

Introduction

Theory

Anchor design used to be based on practical experience of the anchor manufacturer only. Nowadays, science has become a major factor in the design process, complementing the experience of the anchor manufacturer. Based on test results, both in the laboratory and in the field, a much better understanding of anchor behaviour has been achieved.

The performance of an anchor is influenced by many different parameters, of which the following are only a few: fluke area and design, shank design, soil conditions, load conditions, type of mooring line.

This chapter presents a short overview of how these

parameters influence the performance of the anchor. 23 It is by no means complete, but it will give a better

understanding of how an optimal anchor design can be achieved. In the last part of this chapter, a few relevant test results are presented.