Soil anchors are primarily designed and constructed to resist outwardly-directed loads imposed on the foundation of a structure. These outwardly - directed loads are transmitted to the soil at a greater depth by the soil anchors. Buried anchors have been used for thousands of years to stabilize structures. Tents are the oldest structures which were stabilized by using soil anchors or stakes. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, soil anchors were primarily used for stabilizing fairly lightweight structures. With the design and construction of large suspension bridges, very large loads were transmitted to the bridge foundation.In order to support these loads, permanent anchoring system in rock medium were gradually developed an constructed. With the development and construction of special lightweight structures such as transmission towers and radar towers, design of special tension anchoring systems for foundations became necessary primarily because the wind load created reactions which were greater than the self-weight of the structures.

Soil anchors of various types are now used for uplift resistance of transmission towers, utility poles, aircraft moorings, submerged pipelines and tunnels.Soil anchors also used for tieback resistance of earth-retaining structures, water front structures and buried pressure pipelines to withstand thermal stress. In general at the present time, anchors placed in soil can be derived into six basic categories: anchor plates, direct embedment anchors, helical anchors, grouted anchors, anchor piles, drilled shafts and soil hook systems. The new form of soil anchor used for resisting vertically directed uplifting loads is Soil Hook System (SHS) that can be installed without excavating and grout to the required depth in the ground.