Civil Engr: Airplane tie-down hardpoint

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the design and calculation of a steel reinforced concrete anchor point for tying down an airplane. Participants explore the necessary size and weight of the concrete footing required to withstand a force of 10,000 lbs applied at a 30-degree angle, considering factors such as shape, soil properties, and relevant specifications.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as an aerospace engineer, seeks guidance on calculating the required size and weight of the concrete footing, expressing uncertainty about foundational engineering principles.
  • Another participant suggests that the shape of the concrete anchor (e.g., fat plug vs. tall column) will significantly influence the calculations, although they do not provide specific numbers.
  • A participant mentions recalling a military specification for aircraft tie downs and offers to look for it, indicating potential standards that may apply.
  • Further contributions reference specific military documents related to aircraft mooring, although access to these documents is noted as limited.
  • Another participant points to an engineering technical letter from the Corps of Engineers that provides ratings for tie downs, suggesting it may contain relevant information.
  • The original poster acknowledges the importance of shape in the design and humorously notes the cost-effectiveness of using more cement over excavation labor.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the shape of the concrete footing is a critical factor in the design, but there is no consensus on specific calculations or methods to determine the required dimensions and weight. Multiple viewpoints and references to standards remain without resolution.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding foundational engineering concepts, soil properties, and the applicability of military specifications. There are unresolved questions about the appropriate calculations and the influence of various factors on the design.

mshinavar
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First off, I'm an aerospace engineer so please excuse the general incompetence in all civil and concrete matters

I would like to make a steel reinforced concrete anchor point to tie down an airplane. The force applied to the eye bolt tie down is 10,000 lbs at approximately a 30 degree angle. assume the concrete footing is cylindrical and the top of the concrete is level with the ground.

how would i go about calculating the required size/weight/etc... of the concrete footing to restrain this force? Is there an equation (or equations) for this? I assume there would be.

I guessed (remember, aerospace engr) that if each component of the force (x,y) was less than or equal to the weight of the concrete and the associated dirt pull out cone, I would be conservatively safe. Is there a dirt stickiness coefficient (the amount dirt tends to stick to itself)? the density of dirt (hard packed desert soil)?

It seems like these are all pretty elementary questions for anyone that has taken a class in foundations or the like, unfortunately that is not me. I've given it the good old google attempt...no dice.

any help would be greatly appreciated
 
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I expect that it would depend to a large extent upon the shape of the concrete. A fat plug would have different numbers than a tall column. You'll probably want to undercut it, so it will most likely be a conical or wedge shape. Sorry, but I can't help with numbers.
 
I came across a MIL spec for aircraft tie downs a while back. I will see if I can dig it up again.
 
All I could find were these two document numbers, but they aren't available online as far as I can tell:

MIL-T-21063A Tiedown, Aircraft Mooring, Type TD-1A
MIL-T-26908C Tie Down Kit, Aircraft Mooring, Arctic, Type MD&1
 
Take a look at ETL 1110-3-430 from the Corps of Engineers. It rates them at 15,520 Lbf at 19°.
 
thanks for the help guys, ill look into those.

i figured as well that the shape would play a significant part. unfortunately it is cheaper to buy more cement than to pay people to dig a bigger hole. (without looking at the numbers, of course)
 

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