When deciding upon the type of anchoring system that will be suitable for an application, the variety of options available for each component of the system need to be considered.

THE ANCHOR
The anchor is the component that is driven into the ground and creates the load. The Platipus range has two major types of anchor: the Stealth range and the Bat range.



The latest range of Stealth and Bat anchors incorporate some key improvements over previous generations of this style of anchor. These result in reduced driving times, shorter loadlock distances and increased holding capacities.

THE LOWER TERMINATION
The part that connects the anchor to the tendon. Basically, there are two types of lower termination most commonly used with the Platipus system in Australia: a Soft Eye termination or a T-Loc. The Soft Eye termination is only used with an anchor that has an eye, that is, basically the complete Stealth range, with the exception of the S10T. It is formed by feeding the wire tendon through a ferrule, the eye of the anchor and then back through the ferrule. The ferrule is then swaged (i.e., pressed or crimped), securing the wire in place.

	The picture to the left shows a soft eye connection to a Stealth anchor. The plastic impregnated tendon has been swaged and environmentally sealed to obviate corrosion at the swaging point. A hard-eye top termination is shown at the bottom of the picture.
The T-Loc is shown in the pictures above right. The T-Loc is inserted into the slot (left) and given a quarter turn to engage it (right). A T-Wedge (plastic insert) is then pushed into the slot to keep the T-Loc in place

TENDON
The component that transfers the load from the anchor to the top termination. With the Stealth Range (with the exception of the S10T) wire tendon is generally used.

Pictured at left are some of the wire tendons and materials that are available for use with the Stealth anchor range. Shown at top is plastic impregnated steel, a composite solid section of a "herringbone construction", galvanized high tensile steel wire tendon and black UV inhibited polyethylene. The herringbone construction is well known in the industry. The effect of an opposite helix of wires in adjacent strands creates channels of space through to the inside of tendon. This enables deep impregnation of polyethylene between the strands, locking the cover through the interstices of the tendon, preventing the covering from stripping off the tendon. It also reduces capillary action and creep corrosion if any damage to the covering reaches through to the steel wires.

Below the plastic impregnated steel, a stainless steel round strand wire tendon is shown. This provides very high resistance to corrosion. The galvanized steel round strand wire shown at the bottom of the picture also provides resistance to corrosion, although not to the extent of the stainless steel. Both stainless steel compacted strand wire tendon and galvanized compacted strand wire tendon are also available.

In Australia the Bat range of anchors uses the steel rod system. The T-loc used with the anchor can provide either a male or female connection to extend the common road size ae M20 and M24 and it can be stainless steel, HT steel, or galvanized length of rods.

TOP ACCESSORIES AND TERMINATIONS
The top accessory is the component that transfers the load from the top termination to the surface of the structure receiving support or restraint. This can be e.g., a load plate, an inverted self-aligning patress plate or a waler.

The top termination is the component that transfers the load from the tendon to the accessory. With tendons, it might be a wedge grip, a hard eye, or a conical wedge grip and bail. With a rod it might be a washer and nut.

TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES
The type of tools and accessories that you select will be to a large extent determined by the system components you intend to use. However, in most cases only the basic equipment is required to install and loadlock our anchors into working position. (see Tools and Accessories, item 1-4).

BACK TO GENERAL OVERVIEW OF PLATIPUS SYSTEM