Basic Design Procedure for Manta Ray Anchors
1) Select the Working Load. This is the actual in service load that the anchor must
hold with no significant or permanent movement. This is determined by the
project engineer for the particular project and involves the analysis of the actual
application.
2) Calculate the Required Holding Capacity or Proof Test Load. This is the load that
each Manta Ray anchor must support during a proof test with the Load Locker. It
is usually calculated by multiplying the Working Load by a safety factor.
Determination of the safety factor is the responsibility of the project Engineer. It
depends greatly upon many things including but not limited to: Application
(temporary or permanent), type of in service loading (dynamic or static),
consequences of failure, and actual details of the proof test. Typical safety factors
range from 1.0 – 5.0 with 1.5 to 2.0 being very common for a standard Manta Ray
proof test that requires holding the proof test load for 1.0 minutes and allowing a
maximum anchor movement of ½” (13mm) over that 1.0 minutes.
3) Calculate the minimum required structural Yield and Ultimate Strength of the
anchor and hardware based upon the Proof test load and the following guidelines.
These Yield and Ultimate Strength limits will be used to select the actual anchor
to be used. For Manta Ray anchors the absolute maximum allowable proof test
load is 90 percent of the Yield Strength as published on the Anchor Specification
Sheets. A very commonly used limit is 50 percent of the Ultimate Strength as
published on the Anchor Specification Sheets. Be sure to check that both
Ultimate and Yield strength limits are not exceeded. Choose the anchor or
“family” of anchors base on the minimum Yield and Ultimate Strengths as
calculated above. For reference use the following summary chart.
Anchor Yield Ultimate Strength
Strength pounds (kN)
pounds (kN)
MR-68 3500 (15) 5000 (22)
MR-88 7500 (33) 10000 (44)
MR-4 14000 (19) 18000 (80)
MR-3 16000 (71) 20000 (89)
MR-2, -1, -SR, MK-B 30000 (132) 40000 (178)
4) Use the soil data for your project to choose the actual anchor from the Holding
Capacity Chart.
Manta Ray Design Procedure Example
Specified by project Engineer:
Working Load = 10000 pounds (44kN)
Safety Factor = 1.5
From Geotechnical Report:
Soil = Medium Dense Sand with Blow Count = 19
Calculate:
Holding Capacity = 1.5 x 10000 pounds = 15000 pounds (1.5 x 44kN = 66kN)
Calculate:
Holding Capacity = 1.5 x 10000 pounds = 15000 pounds (1.5 x 44kN = 66kN)
Calculate:
Minimum Required Yield Strength = 15000 pounds/.9 = 16666 pounds
(66kN/.9 = 73 kN)
Calculate:
Minimum Required Ultimate Strength = 15000 pounds/.5 = 30000 pounds
(66kN/.5 = 132 kN)
Choose MR-2,-1,-SR, MK-B Family
30000 pound Yield Strength, 40000 pound Ultimate Strength (132 kN Yield Strength
and 178 kN Ultimate Strength)
Look at Holding Capacity Chart
Holding Capacity charts are available for capacities in kips (thousands of pounds) or
kilonewtons (kN).
Find listing that covers Blow count of 19:
Find: Medium Dense Coarse Sand….. Blow Count range 14 – 25.
Look across chart to find anchor that delivers 15000 pound (66kN) Holding Capacity.
Choose MR-1.
MANTA RAY ULTIMATE HOLDING CAPACITY - kN
(Numbers in parentheses refer to notes at bottom of chart)
Soil Description Blow MR-88 MR-4 MR-3 MR-2 MR-1 MR-SR MK-B
count Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate=
(N) 45 kn 71 kn 89 kN 178 kN 178 kN 178 kN 178 kN
Very dense/cemented sands; 60+ 45 71 89 125 - 178 178 178 178
Coarse gravel and cobbles (1,3) (1,3) (1,3) (1,3,4) (1,3,) (1,3,5) (1,3,5)
Dense fine compacted sands, very 45-60 27 - 45 40 - 71 76 - 89 93 - 125 160 - 178 178 178
hard silts or clays (2,3,4) (2,3,4) (2,3,4) (2,4) (1,3,4) (1,3) (1,3,5)
Dense Clays, Sands and gravels, 35-50 18 - 27 27 - 40 53 - 80 67 - 98 107 - 160 142 - 178 178
hard silts and clays (4) (4) (2,4) (2,4) (2,4) (2,3,4) (1,3)
Medium dense sandy gravel, stiff 24-40 13 – 18 20 - 25 40 - 62 53 - 80 80 - 89 107 - 151 142 - 178
to hard slits and clays (4) (4) (4) (4) (2,4) (2,4) (2,3,4)
Medium Dense Coarse sand and 14-25 9 - 13 16 - 20 31 - 40 40 - 53 67 - 89 80 - 107 107 - 142
sandy gravel, Stiff to Very stiff
silts and Clays (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (2,4)
Loose to Medium Dense Fine to 7-14 7 - 11 11 - 18 22 - 36 31 - 44 44 - 67 62 - 80 89 - 107
Coarse Sand: Firm to Stiff Clays
and Silts (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4)
Loose Fine Sand, Alluvium, Soft 4-8 4-7 7 - 11 13 - 22 22 - 36 36 - 53 40 - 62 58 - 89
Clays, Fine saturated Silty Sand (4,6) (4,6) (4,6) (4,6) (4,6) (4,6) (4,6)
Notes: 1) Drilled pilot hole required for efficient installation
2) Ease of installation may be improved by drilling a pilot hole
3) Holding capacity limited by ultimate strength of anchors
4) Holding capacity limited by soil failure
5) Not recommended in these soils
6) Wide variation in soil properties reduces prediction accuracy. Pre construction field test is highly recommended.
MANTA RAY ULTIMATE HOLDING CAPACITY - KIPS
(Numbers in parentheses refer to notes at bottom of chart)
Soil Description Blow MR-88 MR-4 MR-3 MR-2 MR-1 MR-SR MK-B
count Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate= Ultimate=
(N) 10 kips 16 kips 20 kips 40 kips 40 kips 40 kips 40 kips
Very dense/cemented sands; 60+ 10 16 20 28-40 40 40 40
Coarse gravel and cobbles (1,3) (1,3) (1,3) (1,3,4) (1,3,) (1,3,5) (1,3,5)
Dense fine compacted sands, very 45-60 6 -10 9 - 16 17 - 20 21 - 28 36 - 40 40 40
hard silts or clays (2,3,4) (2,3,4) (2,3,4) (2,4) (1,3,4) (1,3) (1,3,5)
Dense Clays, Sands and gravels, 35-50 4-6 6-9 12 - 18 15-22 24 - 36 32 - 40 40
hard silts and clays (4) (4) (2,4) (2,4) (2,4) (2,3,4) (1,3)
Medium dense sandy gravel, stiff 24-40 3-4 4.5-5.5 9 -14 12-18 18-20 24 - 34 32 – 40
to hard slits and clays (4) (4) (4) (4) (2,4) (2,4) (2,3,4)
Medium Dense Coarse sand and 14-25 2-3 3.5-4.5 7-9 9-12 15-20 18-24 24-32
sandy gravel, Stiff to Very stiff
silts and Clays (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (2,4)
Loose to Medium Dense Fine to 7-14 1.5-2.5 2.5-4 5-8 7-10 10-15 14-18 20- 24
Coarse Sand: Firm to Stiff Clays
and Silts (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4)
Loose Fine Sand, Alluvium, Soft 4-8 .9-1.5 1.5-2.5 3-5 5-8 8-12 9-14 13-20
Clays, Fine saturated Silty Sand (4,6) (4,6) (4,6) (4,6) (4,6) (4,6) (4,6)
Notes: 1) Drilled pilot hole required for efficient installation
2) Ease of installation may be improved by drilling a pilot hole
3) Holding capacity limited by ultimate strength of anchors
4) Holding capacity limited by soil failure
5) Not recommended in these soils
6) Wide variation in soil properties reduces prediction accuracy. Pre construction field test is highly recommended.
