Cross Plate anchors are elongated, wide-bottomed earth anchors used in a range of industry sectors to provide structural support or reinforcement to exterior mass constructions.

Cross Plate anchors are designed to be inserted straight into holes bored into the soil. The inserted end is formed from two rectangular, ribbed plates that overlap into a cross shape, providing maximum stability and loading capacity.

The unique qualities of Cross Plate anchors make them especially useful in heavy-duty projects requiring an extra boost of strength or holding resilience.

Cross Plate anchors are designed to be inserted diagonally against the side of a bored or drilled hole, one which has already been undercut to allow the anchor to sit at a 90-degree angle to the guy wire.

Once an additional, suitably sized trench is added to allow for the placement of the anchor rod, the cross plate anchor can be installed. The cross plate at the lower end of the anchor digs into the internal soil mass, with a nut retainer securing the anchor firmly in place. The anchor can then be operated via the upper end as required.

The cross plate anchor is constructed from solid, hot-dipped galvanized steel, with ridged cross plate rims for added resilience. The anchor is also coated in a rust inhibitor for extra durability. To pass quality control all cross plate anchors must meet ASTM specifications.

The anchor can be manually operated by an ‘eye’ at the upper end. A nut retainer is placed on the flattened bottom of the cross plate to enable the anchor to be fixed securely into place once installed.

Because the width of the hole does not negatively affect the installed anchor’s holding capacity, their installation does not require specialist anchoring machinery - the hole can be prepared by the same augers used to install utility poles.

The installation of Cross Plate anchors always requires the assistance of suitable machinery to ensure maximum safety and effectiveness.

The basic steps of a successful Cross Plate anchor installation are:

• Preparing the anchor hole: The hole needs to be drilled or augured to the required depth;
• Undercutting the hole: this ensures that the hole can accommodate the anchor plate at a 90° angle placement;
• Digging the rod trench: This can be done with a small auger or a trenching tool (trench should be kept narrow to avoid disruption to the site;
• Inserting the anchor: Rod is threaded through and the anchor is then inserted into the hole. (the rod should be aligned within 5° of the guy);
• Tensioning and securing: The anchor can then be secured in place by adjusting the nut retainer;
• Filling the hole: Vacant hole space is then filled to fix the equipment in place.