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Load Capacity

About Load Capacity, Pullout Strength & Proof Testing

The only method of accurately predicting the pullout strength of any anchor at any specific site is by an on-site proof test of the anchor under local conditions, installed and loaded in the same manner as for the intended application.

Determining load capacity is an inexact science limited by an inexact environment, but carefully conducted testing can provide useful decision-making input. An awareness of the many variables involved can further guide an informed choice of an effective anchoring solution.

Due to the array of unknowns both below and above the surface of any anchoring application – the soil medium, installation method, local climate, connections to the anchored structure – no one can guarantee a specific holding strength. Our published load capacity numbers, tested in actual field conditions to the best standards that real dirt can provide, are offered as an informed guideline, not a guarantee.

Load capacity is not a simple function of “soil class” (the general type of soil, listed at the lower left of these strength charts) but also of real-time moisture content, compaction, root penetration, installation method, pullout load angle, and other factors unique to the installation’s time and place.

The lateral load capacity or shear strength for Penetrators can be found on page 3 of the test reports under the testing reports tab for each Penetrator product.

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Please contact us with any questions you may have about the challenges, unknowns, and choices involved in your anchoring application.

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Force Conversion Calculator

Click on link below to open calculator in new window:

Load Capacity Charts in US LBS.

Notes about Penetrator Load Capacity

  • Field-tested vertical PULLOUT strength
  • PUSHDOWN strength (as when Penetrators are used for footings) is typically equal to or greater than pullout strength because of unlimited undisturbed soil below the Penetrator
  • When installed through asphalt, pullout strength is increased because of the Penetrator's grip in the asphalt and in the compacted soil directly below the asphalt
  • Proof Testing

    Proof testers can test and verify the holding strength of any anchor. An anchor locker/proof tester performs the following functions:

    1. LOCKING for high-strength cabled anchors

    2. PROOF TESTING for all anchors

    Any type of anchor can be rigged to attach to the proof tester's hook, including anchors from other manufacturers. All cable terminations provide purchase for rigging to the Proof Tester's hook, and all head configurations provide purchase for rigging to the Proof Tester's hook.

    Anchor proof testing equipment