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METHODOLOGY FOR PROVIDING AND INSTALLATION OF PRE-

STRESSED CABLE ANCHORS

1.0. General

All drilling, grouting, cable anchoring works shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant
IS Codes in practice which are stated below. If any modifications or changes felt essential during
execution, shall be discussed, agreed and implemented.

IS Codes refer to:

• BS: 8081-1989. Code of Practice for Ground Anchorages
• S 10270 -1982. Guidelines for Design and Construction of Pre-stressed Rock Anchors.
• IS: 800-1982.Code of Practice for General Construction in Steel.
• IS 14268: Specification for uncoated stress relieved low relaxation 7 ply strand for
prestressed concrete

2.0. Sequence of Operation

General sequence of operations shall be as under.

2.1. Setting of Drill Rig at Location and Align

2.2. Driving Casing into Overburdens and Drilling for Fixed Length
2.3. Initial Grouting of Drilled Holes
2.4. Redrilling of Grouted Holes
2.5. Water Testing of Redrilled Holes
2.6. Fabrication of Cables
2.7. Homing of Cable into the Drilled Hole and Fixed Length Grouting
2.8. Stressing of Cable
2.9. Grout the free length Portion
2.10. Cutting extra Length of Strand and Concreting the Pocket

2.1. Setting of Drill Rig at Location and Align

Suitable rig is shifted to the anchor location and the rig is positioned to drill a selected hole .

2.2. Driving the Casing into Overburden and Drilling for Fixed Length

After the rig is positioned and aligned, drilling is taken up. Drilling of 150 mm dia. hole in silty
sand / clay shall be carried out by Rotary Percussive DTH system or simultaneous casing driven
(Odex) method.

After fixing the casing in overburden, further drilling shall be continued by rotary percussive by
using DTH. As soon as drilling reaches its desired depth, the drill tubes shall be withdrawn from
the hole and machine shall be shifted to next location.
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2.3. Initial Grouting of drilled holes
The drilled holes shall be pressure grouted with neat cement grout to fill the voids, joints, fissures
etc around the anchor hole and to reduce the permeability.
Single packer with mechanically expanded rubber ring shall be fixed at the collar of the hole. The
minimum diameter of the grout intake pipe shall be 25mm. An assembly with grout intake,
bleeder valve, pressure gauge with gauge saver shall be fixed on to the packer for grouting.
The hole shall be taken for grouting and shall be grouted to refusal at required pressure as
detailed in the subsequent paras.

After grouting is completed the packer is removed only after ensuring that there is no back flow
of grout from the hole.

2.4. Redrilling of Grouted Holes:

Re-drilling of holes shall be carried out whilst the grout is set. After re-drilling to the required
depth by percussive drills is completed, the hole shall be thoroughly washed to remove all
loose materials with water. The top of hole shall then be carefully capped to prevent the ingress
of foreign matter.

2.5. Water Testing of Redrilled Holes

Each hole shall be tested for water tightness by filling the hole to its top with clean water. The
permeability of rock shall be deemed to be satisfactory if the rate of loss of water observed over a
period of 10 minutes does not exceed 5 litres/minute under a constant water pressure extrapolated
to 10 kg/sq.cm. Hole shall be re-grouted and re-drilled till it meets the above test requirements.
(refer: BS8081:1989, Appendix E water testing and pregerouting)
Fabrication of Cable
The cable shall be fabricated using required calculated number of HT strands of 15.2 mm dia.
with UTS as per BS 8081: 1989.

• The HT strand shall be cut to required length.

• Bond length of the cable shall be cleaned and applied with two coats of epoxy and quartz
sand shall be sprinkled when the second coat is tacky to increase the bond strength.
• Free length shall be cleaned thoroughly and shall be applied with two coats of epoxy
based paint.
• Cable shall be tied with GI binding wire by providing the MS spacer at regular interval to
space the strand in equidistance and in the bottom MS cap shall be provided.
• After tied up the cable, the HDPE duct shall be encased and plug the upper and
bottom end so that grout will not be leaked out.
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• Free length, HDPE pipe (plain sheath) shall be encased to individual strand pushed with
grease and plugged the lower end with suitable PVC tape so that while grouting the bond
length grout will not be entered into the duct. After encasing the duct to the tendons, shall
be tied with providing spacer at 2.0 m C/c.

2.5. Homing of cable in to the drilled hole and Fix length Grouting
The anchor hole is made ready for homing as stated earlier. The cable of required length is
fabricated and kept ready.
Once the anchor hole is ready for homing, the cable of the particular hole is taken to the location
by crane or manually and lowered in to the hole slowly till the cable reaches bottom of the hole.
Cable is lifted for about 300 mm and locked at top with the help of a clamp at the collar of the
hole. A measured quantity of grout 0.45:1 (water: cement) with non shrinking agent cebex 100 or
equivalent required for fix length is pumped in to the hole through the PVC pipe provided in the
cable. PVC pipe is gradually withdrawn as the grout fills up to the top of fix length. Excess grout
beyond the fix length is sucked out using the same PVC pipe or fresh water is pumped at a low
pressure and the free length is cleaned properly. The cable is locked with wooden wedges so as to
keep the cable undisturbed till the grout sets completely.
The grout is mixed and pumped in the same manner as already stated above. Required
admixture for acceleration shall be used.
Grout Preparation

Grout of required consistency shall be prepared of grouting in a mixing tank having mechanical
agitator.

A measured quantity of water is taken into the mixing tank and proportionate quantity of cement
by weight is added into the mixer and allowed to mix for two minutes.

The mixed grout shall be taken to the hold over tank where the grout shall be kept agitating.

The grout is drawn from the hold over tank by pump and pumped to the required hole through a
delivery hose.

2.6. Stressing of Cable

Mild steel bearing plate shall be bedded at least 72 hours after the completion of cable homing
operation. The surface of concrete pocket shall be cleaned of all loose material and the Thrust
plate shall be cleaned and placed on cement sand mortar at right angles to the axis of the hole.
Bearing plate shall be placed over the thrust plate and the wire shall be threaded. The anchor
shall be stressed only after the grout in fixed length attains desired strength. All the strands shall
be stressed using multi-strand stressing jack.
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TESTING OF CABLES:
The anchors shall initially be stressed to a load of 150% of working load in increments. The
elongation shall be noted at every 50 kg / cm² of Jack pressure. The load shall be held at 150% of
desired capacity for 5 minutes after which the elongation shall be noted (if there is any increase in
elongation during 5 minutes period). After 5 minutes the stress in cables shall be brought down to
110% of working load and the cables shall be locked at this stress (refer: Annexure
I).

2.7. Grout the free length portion

Free length of the cable shall be grouted after 7 days of grouting through the central PVC pipe by
injecting neat cement grout of 0.6:1 (water : cement) till the grout over flows from the hole. The
PVC pipe is withdrawn gradually as the grouting progresses.

2.8. Cutting Extra Length of Strand and Concreting the Pocket

After the grout is set, the extra length of the strands shall be cut about 25 mm above the wedges
and the pocket shall be concreted in level with the reaction block (capping beam).

3. EQUIPMENT

3.1.Drilling

All drilling for cable anchors shall be done by Rotary percussive or simultaneous drilling casing
driven method with DTH system.

3.2 Grouting

The pumps for grouting shall be either Reciprocating pneumatic valve type or Positive
Displacement Screw type.
2
The pumps shall be capable of operating at a maximum pressure of 10 kg/cm and a discharge of
3
0.075 m per minute.

Each grout unit will have a mixing tank and a hold over tank with mechanical agitators.

4. MATERIALS

4.1.Water

Clean potable water free from injurious substances like oil, acids, alkalis, salts, sugar, organic
material or any other deleterious substances shall be used. In general potable water which is
found to be suitable shall be used.

4.2. Cement
Ordinary Portland cement of 53 grades conforming to IS 8112 or any other suitable grade cement
shall be used.
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