Load-bearing behavior of suction bucket foundations in sand

Suction buckets are a promising foundation solution for offshore wind energy systems. The bearing behavior of monopod buckets under drained monotonic loading in very dense and medium dense sand is investigated in this study by means of numerical simulation with the finite element method. Special focus is given to the ultimate capacity and the initial stiffness of the bucket-soil foundation system. The numerical model is validated by comparison with field test results. The bearing behavior of the structure is explained through an evaluation of a reference system. It is shown that the bucket experiences a heave during horizontal loading, which leads to the formation of a gap between the bucket lid and the soil with increasing load. At large loads and rotations close to failure of the system there is no contact between lid and soil, and the whole load is transferred to the soil via the bucket skirt. A parametric study shows how the ultimate capacity and initial stiffness of the system depend on the bucket dimensions and loading conditions, i.e. load eccentricity. Normalized equations for ultimate capacity and initial stiffness are derived from the numerical simulation results, which can be used in the scope of a preliminary design for buckets in sand.     

Effects of installation on the cyclic axial behaviour of suction buckets in sandy soils

Suction buckets differ with their easy and cost-efficient installation technique from other foundation types for offshore wind turbines. For successful completion of their installation process, suction is essential, but the imposed seepage leads to the changes in states of the soil in and around the bucket. Especially, a loosening of soil inside the bucket affects the load carrying behaviour of bucket subjected to repetitive loading resulting from environmental conditions. In this study, the behaviour of buckets under cyclic axial compressive loads with considering a possible loosening and related changes in permeability of soil inside the bucket is investigated numerically. In the framework of finite element analysis, a fully coupled two-phase model and a hypoplastic constitutive model are used to describe the saturated sandy soil behaviour under repetitive loading. The porosity-permeability variation is taken into account by Kozeny–Carman relationship. Special attention is dedicated to load carrying behaviour of bucket top plate, inner and outer skirt as well as base and their changes resulting from a loosening of soil inside the bucket with variable aspect ratio. For this purpose, cyclic axial compressive loads which cause an attenuation and progressive failure of soil-bucket system response are considered. The main findings on the changes in load carrying behaviour of bucket are presented and discussed.     

海上风机吸力式桶形基础承载特性研究综述

风机基础作为海上风机整体结构的重要组成部分,承受着上部风机所受到的风浪流荷载,并且对风机的安全性及可靠性至关重要。吸力式桶形基础由于其安装简单和可重复利用等优点,在海洋平台基础中得到了广泛应用,并逐步应用于海上风机基础中。但由于海上风机与海洋平台在海洋环境中的荷载工况有一定的差别,仍需要通过对其承载特性研究现状进行全面认识,以实现吸力式桶形基础在海上风机基础中的可靠应用。文中通过总结和评价现有研究对桶形基础在不同土体条件以及荷载条件下进行试验及数值模拟分析得到的研究结果,综述了静荷载和循环荷载作用下砂土和黏土中的吸力式桶形基础的承载特性研究现状,以及海上风机吸力式桶形基础的相关研究。文章展望了目前应用于海上风机基础的桶形基础仍缺乏的研究,为海上风机吸力式桶形基础的可靠应用及后续研究提供重要参考。     

Accumulated Rotation of A Modified Suction Caisson and Soil Deformation Induced by Cyclic Loading

Modified suction caissons (MSCs) acting as offshore wind turbine foundations will generate the accumulated rotation under cyclic loading resulted from waves. The accumulated rotation and the range of soil deformation around the MSC under long-term cyclic wave loading were studied using 3-D numerical simulations. The Morison equation was adopted to calculate the wave loadings. It was found that the MSC accumulated rotation increases linearly with the increase of the logarithm of cyclic number. The normalized expression was proposed to reflect the relationship between the accumulated rotation and cyclic number. The soil deformation range around the MSC increases when increasing the cyclic number and loading amplitude. It can also be concluded that the accumulated rotation increases rapidly with this change of excess pore pressure in the first 4000 cycles. The responses of the MSC to wave and wind loads were also investigated. Results show that the accumulated rotation of the MSC under both wave and wind loadings is larger than that under the wave loading only.     

Evaluation of vertically and laterally loaded bucket foundation in clay using a three-dimensional displacement approach

ABSTRACT

An investigation is made to present analytical solutions provided by a three-dimensional displacement approach for analysis of bucket foundations subjected to vertical and lateral loads in cohesive soils. The nonlinear vertical and lateral stiffness coefficients along the skirt of the bucket foundation in nonhomogeneous soil are presented using three-dimensional solutions for vertical and lateral loads and taking into account the dependence of stiffness coefficients on the shear strain. The vertical, lateral, and rocking stiffness coefficients on the base of the skirt of a bucket foundation are obtained from the solutions of hollow rigid cylindrical punch acting on the surface of a soil. The ultimate vertical stress of a soil under the base of a bucket foundation subjected to vertical and moment loads is presented analytically by considering only compression and ignoring tension on the base. The vertical and lateral yields along the skirt and the compression and shear failures on the base are taken into account in analysis of ultimate load capacities. Envelopes of the combined ultimate horizontal and moment load capacities of a bucket foundation in clay are shown. Relationships between ultimate lateral and moment load capacities and the embedment ratio (skirt length to diameter) are presented.     

砂土中四筒导管架风机基础抗弯承载力研究

针对一种四筒导管架海上风机基础,基于有限元数值分析,通过建立砂土中不同筒径和筒高的四筒导管架基础有限元模型,研究砂土中单调弯矩荷载的作用下,筒径与筒高对导管架基础抗弯承载力的影响。分析结果表明:四筒导管架风机基础的抗弯承载力随着筒高或筒径的增加呈明显的增长趋势,相比于筒径的增加,筒高的增加对提高基础抗弯承载力更为有效;在极限弯矩荷载的作用下,基础旋转中心水平向位置受筒高的影响较大,但竖向位置受筒高和筒径的影响很小。     

复合加载下桶形基础循环承载性能数值分析

作为一种新型基础形式,吸力式桶形基础除了承受海洋平台结构及自身重量等竖向荷载的长期作用之外,往往还遭受波浪等所产生的水平荷载及其力矩等其它荷载分量的瞬时或循环作用。对复合加载模式下软土地基中桶形基础及其结构的循环承载性能尚缺乏合理的分析与计算方法。应用Andersen等对重力式平台基础及地基所建议的分析方法,基于软黏土的循环强度概念,在大型通用有限元分析软件ABAQUS平台上,通过二次开发,将软土的循环强度与Mises屈服准则结合,针对吸力式桶形基础,基于拟静力分析建立了复合加载模式下循环承载性能的计算模型,并与复合加载作用下极限承载性能进行了对比。由此表明,与极限承载力相比,桶形基础的循环承载力显著降低。     

Experimental study on wide-shallow composite bucket foundation for offshore wind turbine under cyclic loading

As an appropriate type of foundation for offshore wind turbines (OWTs), wide-shallow composite bucket foundation (WSCBF) is cost-competitive, and it has a unique and special substructure that comprises seven internal rooms arranged in a honeycomb-like structure. In this study, the cyclic behavior of WSCBF for OWTs embedded in saturated clay was investigated using a large-scale model subjected to lateral cyclic loading. The responses of foundation under constant- and various-amplitude cyclic loadings were recorded in terms of displacements, rotations, and bending moments. The variations in stiffness and damping were obtained, and a collaborative bearing mechanical model between the bucket and soil was considered, which was beneficial for improving the stiffness of the whole structure. Accumulative deformation was found to have little effect on the bearing capacity of the foundation. Dynamic analysis in frequency domain was further performed on both moment and rotation data, and the complex, frequency-dependent impedance was also studied.     

海上风电基础下放通过浪溅区响应特性研究

多筒型导管架基础下放安装过程筒顶开口,筒内气—水自由置换,浪溅区下放过程由于浮力、冲击载荷、附加质量、阻尼效应等因素影响具有很强的非线性。开展模型试验研究波浪荷载下外界控制因素对四筒导管架基础下放过程气垫响应、基础运动和吊缆张力响应的影响机理,探究气垫结构对基础下放过程附加质量和固有周期的影响。结果表明：初始下放过程,筒内气体积聚,气垫压力非线性增长,随着下放深度增大,气垫压力趋于稳定;气垫压力响应趋势与基础下放速度和开孔率相关,波浪荷载仅影响气垫响应幅值;筒型基础下放穿越浪溅区阶段受到砰击荷载作用,气垫结构对砰击荷载产生缓冲效果;考虑气垫—水柱耦合作用时,顶盖即将入水阶段,气弹簧和水弹簧耦合作用下整体刚度增大,基础固有周期出现减小趋势。     

Estimation of Undrained Bearing Capacity for Offshore Soft Foundations with Cyclic Load

The degradation strength of soils under cyclic loading is studied and a method for deter-mining the cyclic degradation strength with cyclic triaxial tests is given in the paper.Furthermore,a dum-my static method for estimating the undrained bearing capacity for offshore soft foundation under waveloads is developed.It can consider the effect of the difference of cyclic stress for different parts of the foun-dation on both the degradation strength of the foundation soil and the bearing capacity so that the esti-mated result can better reflect the real condition of foundation under cyclic loading.The method can be ap-plied to plane and space problem.     

Finite element modeling of the tensile capacity of suction caissons in cohesionless soil

When suction caissons are used as foundations for jacket structures, the caissons are exposed to significant vertical loads. If the self-weight of the structure is relatively low, a large horizontal load may lead to tension on the foundation on the incoming side. For steady loads, such as the wind load during production, the soil response will be drained. This paper presents the results from a series of finite element analysis (FEA) on suction caissons in cohesionless soil. The analyses are performed on suction caissons with different dimensions and different soil conditions. For normalization, dimensional analyses of the calculated results are performed to create dimensionless groups. The dimensionless groups are used to establish a relation between the normalized tensile capacity and the interface strength. This relation is used to establish two formulations of the drained tensile capacity for suction caissons in cohesionless soils. One for associated plasticity and one for non-associated plasticity with the dilatation angle equal zero.     

Experimental investigation of the vertical pullout cyclic response of bucket foundations in sand

A series of 1 g model tests was conducted to investigate the accumulated vertical pullout displacement and unloading stiffness of bucket foundations embedded in dry and saturated sands. The foundations were subjected to vertical pullout cyclic loading with different load amplitudes. Cyclic load was applied up to 10⁴ cycles. Test results showed that the accumulated vertical pullout displacement increased with the increase in the number of load cycles and cyclic load amplitudes. The unloading stiffness of the bucket foundations decreased with the increase in load amplitude and number of cycles. Empirical equations were proposed based on the test results to evaluate the accumulated vertical pullout displacement and unloading stiffness of the bucket foundations in saturated sand. These equations can be used for the preliminary design of single or tripod bucket foundations.     

Effects of long-term cyclic horizontal loading on bucket foundations in saturated loose sand

A 1-g model experimental study was conducted to investigate the accumulated rotations and unloading stiffness of bucket foundations in saturated loose sand. One-way horizontal cyclic loading was applied to model bucket foundations with embedment ratios 0.5 and 1.0. Up to 10⁴ cycles of loading were applied at a frequency of 0.2 Hz varying load amplitudes. The accumulated rotation of the bucket foundations increased with the number of cycles and the load amplitudes. Empirical equations were proposed to describe the accumulated rotation of the foundations. The unloading stiffness of foundations increased with the number of cycles but decreased with an increase in load amplitude. The initial unloading stiffness of L/D = 1.0 (L is skirt length; D is foundation diameter) was approximately twice that of L/D = 0.5. Excess pore water pressure difference of 50% was observed between L/D = 0.5 and 1.0. The suction and static capacity of the bucket increased with increase of bucket embedment ratio with a difference of 69.5% and 73.6% respectively between L/D = 0.5 and 1.0.     

Earth Pressure on Caissons in Marine Clay Under Cyclic Loading

Coastal protection is proposed to be made out of a contiguous caisson type of wall. These caissons can be designed to resist both lateral static and cyclic loading. With adequate depth of embedment, the walls can be designed to offer significant lateral passive resistance to counteract the lateral static and cyclic loading arising out of wave action. This article describes a set of laboratory tests on model caissons embedded into soft marine clay with different embedment depths. Specially designed earth pressure cells are embedded into the caisson at different depths. A pneumatic system was used to apply lateral static and cyclic loading. Test beds were prepared conforming to soft clay conditions in a test tank of appropriate size. The test results reveal that with this type of arrangement the variation in earth pressure with depth can be conveniently established. The earth pressure developed is related to the lateral load applied. The depth at which the maximum earth pressure occurs is same for both static and cyclic loading. Further, under cyclic loading there is no failure encountered even under cyclic loading level corresponding to 0.9 times the ultimate static lateral capacity.     

软黏土中桶形基础竖向循环加载超重力离心模型试验研究

桶形基础越来越广泛应用于海洋油气平台、海上风机、输电塔、防波堤等构筑物,研究其循环承载特性对以上构筑物服役安全性具有重要意义。通过在软黏土中开展单桶循环上拔以及小间距群桶循环上拔和循环下压超重力离心模型试验,发现循环上拔地基破坏模式为整体破坏,裂隙均呈现圆弧形,循环下压呈现渐进式整体破坏模式,下压过程的挤压作用可明显减小桶周泥面高度,导致其承载力降低。模拟双向受荷工况的循环上拔试验在5次加载后荷载弱化系数开始趋于稳定,远早于单向受荷工况;单向和双向受荷工况循环上拔荷载弱化系数残余稳定值分别为0.31和0.32,循环下压荷载弱化系数最小值为0.35,表明不同加载方式竖向循环荷载作用下,此三者大小均可用软黏土地基灵敏度倒数预估。     

基于2010—2020年东海风浪统计数据的海上风电吸力桶基础动荷载承载特性

为了得到桶基础承受风、浪动荷载的承载性能,结合我国东海地质条件,统计中国东海2010—2020年浅、深海风速和最大海浪数据,通过计算得到风浪荷载并制成ABAQUS软件幅值曲线施加到海上风电吸力桶基础上,分析了吸力桶基础在动荷载作用下的承载特性。结果表明：吸力桶基础受风、浪荷载影响明显,桶基础迎力面受到风浪动荷载产生拉拔现象。在浅海区,桶基础在风浪荷载作用下桶身自上而下变形不协调,风浪荷载最大的10月份桶基础迎力面最大位移超出了规范0.02D的限制,基础失稳;桶基础背力面受压变形较小。在深海区,桶基础在风浪荷载作用下桶身自上而下变形相对协调,施加风浪荷载后桶体迎力面最大位移为14.9 mm,整体上迎力面位移比背力面位移大4 mm,桶体处于稳定状态。相较浅海区的吸力桶单桶结构,深海区吸力桶结构由于尺寸增加,桶体的稳定性得到提高,说明吸力桶结构的尺寸对稳定性起决定性作用。     

Modelling the drained response of bucket foundations for offshore wind turbines under general monotonic and cyclic loading

The response of bucket foundations on sand subjected to planar monotonic and cyclic loading is investigated in the paper. Thirteen monotonic and cyclic laboratory tests on a skirted footing model having a 0.3 m diameter and embedment ratio equal to 1 are presented. The loading regime reproduces the typical conditions of offshore wind turbines: very large cyclic overturning moment, large cyclic horizontal load and comparatively little, self-weight induced, vertical load. The experimental soil-foundation response is interpreted within the macro-element approach, using an existing analytical model, suitably modified to accommodate the footing embedment and the application of cyclic load. Details of the proposed model are provided together with evidences of its ability to reproduce the essential features of the experimentally observed behaviour. The results of the study aim at increasing the confidence in the use of the macro-element approach to predict the response of bucket foundations for offshore wind turbines, notably as the long-term accumulated displacements are concerned.     

组合桶形基础水平循环承载力模型试验

在一个大型土池中进行了软土中组合四桶基础在竖向静荷载与水平循环荷载共同作用下的承载力模型试验,研究了竖向静荷载与水平循环荷载对组合桶形基础破坏形式与承载力的影响。试验结果表明,组合四桶基础的变形主要包括水平循环变形与竖向循环累积沉降。基础的破坏形式取决于水平循环荷载与竖向静荷载。若竖向静荷载较小,过大的水平循环位移将导致基础破坏;随竖向静荷载增加,竖向循环累积沉降将变为导致基础破坏的主要原因。试验结果还表明,在不同竖向静荷载与水平循环荷载共同作用下,基础的水平循环承载力大约为水平静承载力的70%左右。     

Investigation of the load-bearing capacity of suction caissons used for offshore wind turbines

This paper presents the results of three-dimensional finite element analyses of the suction bucket foundation used for offshore wind turbines. The behavior of the bucket and the response of soil supporting the bucket in dense and medium dense sandy soils subjected to static horizontal load are investigated. Field tests results and a centrifuge model test are used to validate the numerical model. Dimensionless horizontal load-displacement and overturning moment-rotation relationships are derived utilizing the Power law and Buckingham’s theorem. The results show good agreement between the numerical analysis results and the straight lines obtained from the Power law until a specific value of horizontal load and overturning moment. Regarding stress behavior of soil supporting the bucket, due to soil densification and bucket movement, maximum stresses are seen near the bucket tip at the right inside of the bucket. The major part of the applied load is transferred by the bucket skirt. Numerical analysis modeling results show that the bucket rotation and displacement are highly dependent on the bucket geometry and soil properties in addition to loading conditions. Normalized equations and figures for the ultimate horizontal load and overturning-moment capacities are presented and can be used for the preliminary design of the bucket foundations in sandy soils.     

An investigation into the lateral loading response of shallow bucket foundations for offshore wind turbines through centrifuge modeling in sand

A shallow suction bucket is a new foundation type for offshore wind turbines. Due to its large size and bulky shape, the bucket and the soil within the bucket do not necessarily deform as a whole. Moreover, limited research has been conducted on the hydrodynamic wave influence on the shallow bucket bearing response. These factors pose great challenges to the shallow bucket foundation design. This paper presents a set of centrifuge tests of a shallow bucket model subjected to monotonic and dynamic lateral loads to study the lateral bearing response of shallow bucket foundations in the field under combined loads induced by wind, waves, etc. In addition to the routine measurements (e.g., load-displacement), the soil pressures on the bucket and the distribution and evolution of the excess pore pressures in the surrounding soils are also obtained. The deformation pattern of the bucket (e.g., rotation center) is revealed through displacement measurements. Finally, the proposed easy-to-use analytical equations using the limit equilibrium to assess the bearing capacity of bucket foundations, taking into account the influence of the soil strength degradation caused by hydrodynamic wave loadings, are found to yield good results upon comparison with the centrifuge data, providing useful guidelines for the design of shallow bucket foundations.