Offshore Stevshark MK5 Drag Embedment Anchor | Hard-Seabed Mooring Anchor

Product Specification

Offshore Stevshark MK5 Drag Embedment Anchor | Hard-Seabed Mooring Anchor

Product Overview

The offshore Stevshark MK5 drag embedment anchor is a fixed-shank anchor configuration intended for mooring projects where the seabed contains hard or difficult-to-penetrate materials such as limestone, calcarenite, very dense sand, coral, or comparable competent layers. Its hard-soil configuration is associated with reinforced critical areas, sharp fluke edges and tips, and tooth-like penetration features that help the anchor initiate penetration where a conventional drag anchor may achieve only shallow embedment.

Zhongyuan supplies this anchor through qualified anchor manufacturing partners rather than presenting it as an in-house manufactured product. Anchor weight alone is not a sufficient selection basis. Final type, nominal weight, fluke arrangement, material grade, coating, mooring-line connection, installation procedure, proof-load requirement, and certificate scope should be determined from the project mooring analysis, site-specific geotechnical data, approved drawing, and classification-society requirements.

Quick Specifications

• Product type: Fixed-shank offshore drag embedment anchor → develops holding capacity through controlled penetration and soil resistance during drag-in installation.
• Seabed focus: Hard clay, very dense sand, calcarenite, limestone, coral, and other competent layers → intended for projects where initial penetration and fluke-tip strength are major concerns.
• Nominal weight range: 300 to 30,000 kg in the supplied dimension table → final commercial size availability and approved drawing are to be confirmed before quotation.
• Penetration features: Reinforced structure, sharp fluke edges and tips, and shark-tooth / serrated features → support initial bite and resist concentrated loads in shallow-penetration conditions.
• Construction: Welded steel-plate assembly using mild-steel and/or high-tensile-steel components → exact grades, WPS, NDT and traceability scope are project-specific.
• Load-direction basis: Primarily selected for horizontal or near-horizontal drag-embedment loading → it must not be treated as a vertical-load anchor without dedicated mooring analysis and approval.
• Surface protection: Black bituminous coating, anti-corrosion paint, or project coating system → coating compatibility with transport, storage and offshore service should be specified.
• Supply and certification: Partner-manufactured supply with inspection documentation arranged to order → class certificate availability is subject to approved maker scope and project requirements.

Main Technical Parameters

Mooring Selection & Inquiry Guide

Step 1: Provide site-specific seabed information, including water depth, soil profile, CPT / borehole data, hard-layer type and thickness, expected debris or rock exposure, and the proposed anchor location.

Step 2: Confirm mooring-system design loads and load direction at the anchor, including intact, damaged and transient cases, the horizontal and vertical components, line catenary, and required design / proof factors.

Step 3: Confirm anchor type and nominal weight through geotechnical and mooring analysis. State the required fluke arrangement, fluke / shank angle, target penetration, allowable drag distance, and required installation or proof load.

Step 4: Provide the mooring-line interface: chain or wire forerunner, chain size and grade, connector or shackle arrangement, swivel requirement, chaser arrangement, and any optional fluke-ballast requirement.

Step 5: Confirm installation and recovery constraints, including anchor-handling vessel capacity, stern-roller geometry, deck space, lifting and securing arrangement, towing condition, deployment procedure, and retrieval method.

Step 6: Confirm material grades, welding and NDT requirements, coating system, dimensional inspection, weight tolerance, class society, documentation scope, quantity, delivery destination, and required delivery time.

Anchor Structure

Anchor shackle | Fixed shank | Reinforced welded fluke | Sharp fluke edges and tips | Shark-tooth / serrated penetration features | Stabilizing members according to approved design | Optional hollow-fluke ballast provision when specified

Hard-Seabed Design & Engineering Advantages

• Critical fluke-tip and fluke-edge areas are strengthened because hard seabeds may permit only shallow penetration, concentrating a large part of the applied load near the tips.
• Sharp penetration edges and tooth-like features improve the initial bite into competent seabed layers compared with a general-purpose smooth-edged drag anchor configuration.
• The fixed-shank geometry and stabilizing arrangement are intended to support correct orientation and a stable drag path, but actual behavior depends on line geometry, soil layering, installation load and seabed variability.
• Optional ballast within a hollow fluke can be considered to assist initial orientation and penetration in specific deployment arrangements. Ballast, forerunner type and deployment procedure must be engineered together.
• Welded steel-plate construction permits a broad nominal-weight range, while requiring controlled material traceability, qualified welding procedures, dimensional checks, NDT and protection of highly loaded transitions.
• Holding capacity must be established by project-specific geotechnical assessment and installation verification. It should not be stated only as a fixed multiple of nominal anchor weight.

Custom Attributes

• Product Category: Offshore drag embedment anchor → selected as part of a complete mooring system rather than as a stand-alone ship anchoring item.
• Anchor Configuration: Stevshark / MK5 hard-soil type → final brand, approved maker and drawing status are to be confirmed for each order.
• Nominal Weight: 300–30,000 kg in supplied table → weight is an identification and handling parameter, not the sole holding-capacity rating.
• Seabed Suitability: Competent or difficult-to-penetrate seabeds → site-specific geotechnical verification remains mandatory.
• Material: Steel plate, mild steel and high-tensile steel → exact grades and heat-treatment condition are to be confirmed by approved design.
• Load Direction: Predominantly horizontal drag-embedment service → vertical load capability is not declared without dedicated analysis.
• Surface Treatment: Bituminous paint, anti-corrosion coating or customized offshore system → dry-film thickness and preparation grade to be specified.
• Inspection Scope: Material, welding, NDT, dimensions, weight and proof / installation verification as required → scope agreed before production.
• Supply Status: Supplied through anchor manufacturing partners → manufacturer identity, class approval and certificate route are confirmed at quotation stage.

How It Works

Anchor is landed and correctly oriented on the seabed → Mooring line applies a controlled horizontal pull → Sharp fluke tips initiate penetration → Anchor drags and embeds while soil resistance develops in front of the fluke → Installation / proof load confirms the set → Anchor remains operated within the approved mooring-load envelope

Applications

Permanent offshore moorings | Semi-permanent mooring spreads | Mobile offshore units when selected by mooring analysis | Dredging reaction anchors | Marine construction projects | Offshore energy and floating-structure moorings | Hard-seabed anchor locations

Inspection, Certification & Supply Advantages

Inspection and certification can be arranged according to the approved manufacturing source, project specification, material traceability plan, welding and NDT scope, load-test or installation-verification requirement, and classification-society procedure. Type approval or class certification must not be assumed unless it is specifically confirmed for the selected maker, anchor size and order scope.

Certification: CCS, NK, BV, ABS, DNV, LR, KR, IRS, RS, RINA, CRS, Makers Test Certificate.

Drawing & Photos

FAQ

Q1: How should the correct Stevshark MK5 anchor weight be selected?

A1: Nominal weight is only an initial size reference. Selection should combine site-specific soil data, required mooring loads, load direction at the seabed, fluke area and angle, mooring-line geometry, allowable drag distance, target installation load, and the project approval basis.

Q2: Why is this anchor used for hard seabeds instead of a general drag anchor?

A2: The hard-soil configuration uses strengthened critical areas, sharp fluke edges and tips, and tooth-like penetration features. These features address shallow penetration and concentrated fluke-tip loading in competent soils, but successful performance still depends on the actual seabed profile and installation method.

Q3: Can this drag embedment anchor resist vertical mooring loads?

A3: A conventional drag embedment anchor is mainly suited to horizontal or near-horizontal loading. Any significant vertical component must be checked by the mooring and geotechnical design team. A vertical-load anchor or another foundation type may be more appropriate when uplift is a governing load case.