ABSTRACT
Drag embedded anchors (DEAs) are bearing plates inserted into the seabed by dragging horizontally with a chain or wire rope. They are an attractive anchorage alternative owing to their relatively low installation cost and the relative high geotechnical efficiency of plate anchors in general. They can also be easily retrieved for reuse on other projects. A potential drawback of DEAs is the inability to achieve precise positioning. Uncertainty in vertical positioning translates into uncertainty in holding capacity. For this reason, they have traditionally been used largely for temporary moorings rather than for permanent facilities. Nevertheless, uncertainty in holding capacity can be mitigated to a great extent by proof testing to verify holding capacity, so DEAs can certainly be considered as a viable option for permanent facilities.
