Anchors and anchor cables are fundamental to the success of a Floppy Sprinkler Overhead Cable system and it is crucial to ensure than once installed they do not move.  

A very small movement of the anchor or a slight slackening of the anchor cable can cause several hundred kilograms of tension in the support cable to be lost; there will be a large increase in the deflection of the cable and a resultant decrease in the clearance beneath the system. The different types of anchors rely on solid undisturbed soil, a meter or more below the earth’s surface to counteract the upward pull caused by the tension in the support cable.

The main types of anchors used in Floppy Overhead Cable system are:

Concrete blocks either pre-cast or cast in-situ, with an eye made of 12mm mild steel rod cast into them and having dimensions of approximately 500mm x 500mm x 500mm. These should be placed 1 meter deep and care must be taken to accurately align the eye with the row of poles the support cable stretches over (see fig ?).

Concrete block anchors

Timber logs between 1.5 and 2 meter long with a diameter of at least 150mm may be used. Anchor rods made from 12mm mild steel with an eye on one end and a loop of 170mm on the other end, both welded closed are used to attach them to the vine line grips at the ends of the anchor cables. They are buried 1 meter deep in a trench as per drawings and photographs (see figure ?). Alignment as above is also very important.