Insight into diving behaviour of the dynamically installed maverick anchor linking to yield surface

This study investigates the keying and diving behaviour of the dynamically installed maverick anchor, with particular emphasis on its diving potential under operational monotonic loading. A series of large deformation finite element (LDFE) analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of load inclination at the padeye, padeye offset ratio, soil strength, and initial embedment depth. The results show that the maverick anchor mobilises higher load resistance despite its shorter length, as it initiates diving earlier than conventional dynamically installed anchors, regardless of load inclination and padeye offset ratio. Notably, the keying and diving trajectories vary significantly with soil strength and embedment depth. To further clarify the underlying mechanisms, complementary small-strain finite element analyses were performed. The results indicate that the capacity factors of the maverick anchor decrease with increasing soil strength and decreasing embedment depth, leading to a modification of the yield locus. Consequently, the anchor exhibits a greater tendency for pullout when loaded in stronger clay, resulting in reduced capacity. This interpretation is validated using analytical solutions based on a plasticity framework. Finally, a brief design guideline is presented to account for the effects of soil strength and embedment depth.