Theoretical studies on penetration resistance of suction caissons in clay

ABSTRACT

The suction caisson is commonly a top-closed cylindrical steel structure with large diameter, short length and much thinner skirt wall thickness. The resistance to penetrating is calculated as the sum of the tip bearing capacity and the adhesion on the both sides of the skirt wall. Since the thickness of the skirt wall is very small, the downward adhesion produced by the skirt wall will cause the additional vertical stress and shear stress in the soil at the skirt tip level, increasing the skirt tip resistance. However, the increase in skirt tip resistance caused by the additional vertical stress rather than shear stress in soil at the skirt tip level was only considered, this may lead to an inaccurate estimation for the tip bearing capacity and the suction required. Thus, a modified slip-line field is put forward in this study to estimate the tip resistance. The expression of obtaining the minimum suction to install the suction caisson in clay is derived in terms of the force equilibrium. Results from calculations of the minimum suction have been proved to be in a good agreement with the measured data.     

Large deformation finite element analysis of the installation of suction caisson in clay

The suction caisson (or called suction anchor) which is considered as a relatively new type of foundation of offshore structures, has been extensively studied and applied for offshore wind turbines and oil platforms. The installation of the suction caisson is of great importance in the design and construction because it can bring about several issues and further influence the performance of holding capacity in safety service. In this paper, large deformation finite element (FE) analyses are performed to model the installation of suction caisson (SC) by suction and jacking in normally consolidated clay. The penetration of the suction caisson is modeled using an axisymmetric FE approach with the help of the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) formulation which can satisfactorily solve the large deformation problem. The undrained shear strength of the clay and elastic modulus are varied with depth of soil through the subroutine VUFIELD. The numerical results allow quantification of the penetration resistance and its dependence on the installation method. The centrifuge test and theoretical solution are used for the FE model validation. After the validation, the penetration resistance, the soil plug heave, and the caisson wall friction have been examined through the FE model. Based on the numerical results, it is shown that the ALE technique can simulate the entire suction caisson penetration without mesh distortion problem. The installation method can play an important role on the penetration resistance, namely, the suction installation reduces the penetration resistance significantly compared to the purely jacked installation. With a further study on the suction case, it is found that as the final applied suction pressure increases, the soil plug heave increases, while the penetration resistance reduces with increase of the final suction pressure. The effect of the friction of internal caisson walls has been also investigated and a conclusion is drawn that internal wall friction has a significant contribution to the penetration resistance and it can be implicitly represented by varying coefficient of internal wall friction. As for the penetration resistance, both jacked and suction installation have great dependency on the internal wall friction.     

Model tests on performance of offshore wind turbine with suction caisson foundation in sand

Abstract

The performance of steel caisson during and after installation with different penetration velocities in medium dense sand is presented. The applied jacking forces, the amount of formed soil heave and bearing capacity were measured in the model tests. The influence of penetration velocities on jacking forces, soil heave and bearing capacity were also discussed in detail. The results indicated that the jacking forces for caisson in medium dense sands were significantly affected by the penetration velocity. The larger the penetration velocity, the more soil flowed into the caisson cavity during installation. This will lead to larger inner shaft resistance and in turn more jacking forces required for the same penetration depth. The height of soil heave during installation increases with penetration velocity. The m value calculated by the ratio of the volumes of the soil heave to that of the penetrated caisson wall can be used to evaluate the soil heave. The larger the applied velocity, the larger the m value and larger bearing capacity of caisson after installation. The relationship between the m value and penetration velocity can be used to control the soil heave for a steel caisson with a wall thickness to external diameter ratio of 4.2% in medium dense sand by jacking method.     

混合土层吸力筒沉贯阻力算法研究及应用

为补充DNVGL-RP-C212规范关于混合土层内吸力筒沉贯阻力计算参数的不确定描述,基于长乐外海风电场多个吸力筒基础的沉贯负压监测成果,对黏土—砂混合土层内吸力筒沉贯阻力算法进行研究。提出了基于黏粒含量确定侧阻力修正系数kf的算法,引入桩基工程中基于静力触探试验（CPT）的fs计算桩侧剪切强度的经验算法,并对其进行修正,用于计算吸力筒的沉贯侧阻力。对两种算法的准确性进行了验证,对其可靠性进行比较,提出了以前者计算结果为准,后者计算结果作为校核依据的建议。     

Analytical and experimental studies on installation of a suction caisson with tampered tip in clay

Concrete suction caissons have been successfully used as breakwaters or seawalls in recent years. The relative large wall thickness-to-diameter ratio of a concrete caisson can lead to the formation of a full soil heave plug that may cause difficulties in the installation of concrete caisson in clay. One way to overcome this limitation is to use a tampered tip for the caisson wall. An analytical method is proposed in this article to calculate the minimum suction pressure required to penetrate a caisson and the maximum allowable suction pressure that can be applied to avoid too much soil heave plug during the installation of the suction caisson. Four model tests were conducted in normally consolidated clay to study the installation process of a concrete suction caisson with tampered tip and to verify the proposed analytical method. The height of the soil heave plug in the caisson with a tampered tip is observed to be about half of that in the caisson with a flat tip.     

砂土中吸力式导管架基础沉贯试验研究

吸力式导管架基础具备高承载力、高施工效率、高环境友好度、低造价等特点,使用其作为海上风电底部支撑结构有利于产业的规模化发展,实现上述愿景的前提在于使筒型基础顺利安装以满足设计要求。基于此,在不同初始施加泵压下,对吸力式导管架的沉贯效率特征值、基础内外围渗流变化、筒裙端部土压力特点进行探究。通过抱桩器使吸力式导管架在吸力安装过程中仅具备竖向自由度,从而进行纯沉贯试验。结果表明：初始泵压2 kPa时沉贯效率特征值最高;沉贯过程中基础外围渗流水压小于基础内围渗流水压;筒裙外侧所受土压要大于筒壁内侧所受土压力。     

海上风电吸力基础在分层土中的沉贯特性研究综述

吸力基础与海洋工程大直径钢桩相比,具有成本低、安装周期短、对环境影响小、不受海况影响及可回收再利用等优点,近年来在海上风电工程中得到推广应用。吸力基础沉贯至海床预定位置,是其发挥承载力和确保服役稳定性的前提。海床地基土体常以分层土形式分布,且各层土体强度、压缩性和渗透性等存在显著差别,导致吸力基础吸力沉贯机理非常复杂。明确吸力基础在分层土中沉贯特性,有助于指导吸力基础在海上风电工程中的推广应用。对目前吸力基础在分层土中沉贯特性研究进行综述和总结,归纳了其沉贯机理研究进展,并对影响吸力基础在分层土中沉贯因素进行了分析;提出了分层土中吸力基础沉贯的研究方向和改进的沉贯方法。     

Assessment of cyclic response to suction caisson in clay using a three-dimensional displacement approach

An investigation was made to present analytical solutions of cyclic response to suction caisson subjected to inclined cyclic loadings in clay using a three-dimensional displacement approach. A model representing the relationship between vertical load and vertical displacement and that between lateral load and lateral displacement along the skirt of suction caisson subjected to cyclic loadings is proposed for overconsolidated clay. For the effect of vertical load on cyclic load capacity of suction caisson, using the Mindlin solution in the case of a vertical point load, the vertical stress of soil under the base of suction caisson is presented. For the stress state of soil beneath the base of suction caisson subjected to cyclic loading, the Mohr–Coulomb failure line and critical state line are presented and the relationship between total stress, effective mean principal stress, stress difference, and pore-pressure is elucidated. The comparison of results predicted by the present method for a suction caisson subjected to cyclic loadings in clay has shown good agreement with those obtained from field tests. Cyclic behavior of clay up to failure is made clear from the relationship between cyclic tensile load, vertical and lateral displacements, and rotation and that between depth, vertical, and lateral pressures.     

Experimental Studies on Extraction of Modified Suction Caisson (MSC) in Sand by Reverse Pumping Water

A suction caisson can be extracted by applying reverse pumping water,which cannot be regarded as the reverse process of installation because of the dramatically different soil?structure interaction behavior.Model tests were first carried out in this study to investigate the extraction behavior of the modified suction caisson(MSC)and the regular suction caisson(RSC)in sand by reverse pumping water.The effects of the installation ways(suction-assisted or jacking installation)and the reverse pumping rate on the variations of the over-pressure resulting form reverse pumping water were investigated.It was found that neither the RSC nor the MSC can be fully extracted from sand.When the maximum extraction displacement is obtained,the hydraulic gradient of the sand in the suction caisson reaches the critical value,leading to seepage failure.In addition,the maximum extraction displacement decreases with the increasing reverse pumping rate.Under the same reverse pumping rate,the final extraction displacements for the RSC and MSC installed by suction are lower than those for the RSC and MSC installed by jacking.The final extraction displacement of MSC is almost equal to that of the RSC with the same internal compartment length.Based on the force equilibrium,a method of estimating the maximum extraction displacement is proposed.It has been proved that the proposed method can rationally predict the maximum extraction displacement and the corresponding over-pressure.     

Suction caisson installation in sand with isotropic permeability varying with depth

Suction-induced seepage is pivotal to the installation of caisson foundations in sand. Indeed, the upward pore water flow on the inner side of the caisson wall causes a release of a fraction of soil resistance due to the reduction of the lateral effective stress. A safe caisson installation requires a reliable prediction of soil conditions, especially soil resistance and critical suction for piping. These soil conditions must be predicted for the whole installation process.In this paper, we examine the effect on such prediction of the assumed permeability profile, which is described as a function of depth below the mudline. This study is motivated by the fact that marine sediments generally exhibit a permeability that decreases with depth because of consolidation under gravity. Hence, the question is whether conventional theories based on a constant permeability lead to a conservative prediction of soil conditions or not. Our conclusion is affirmative only regarding piping condition. As for soil resistance, a prediction based on the assumption of a constant permeability is non-conservative. This is due to an overestimated reduction in effective stresses under suction-induced seepage.     

Centrifuge evaluation of the influential factors in the uplift capacity of suction foundations in clay

The passive suction of suction foundations plays a significant role in pull-out resistance. The factors influencing the uplift capacity include stress state, embedment ratio, and loading rate. This article investigates the effect of embedment ratio and loading rate on the bearing behavior of suction foundations using centrifuge testing. A series of uplift tests on a suction foundation in clay were performed using a beam centrifuge. During the tests, uplift displacement, suction, and loading rate were monitored. The suction was obtained by measurement of water pressure. To compare the influence of different factors on uplift capacity due to passive suction, two types of uplift tests were conducted; the first was on the closed caisson and the second was on the vented caisson. The results show that the pull-out resistance increased with an increase of the uplift loading rate, which was induced by the suction. The maximum resistance occurred when the upward displacements reached 14%D under a ratio of skirt length (L) to diameter (D) (L/D) of 0.5 and 17%D under an L/D ratio of 2. These findings provide a way for suction caissons to resist pull-out load or for structures to be removed from the seabed.     

基于泥沙流变特性的吸力式沉箱减阻技术

针对吸力式沉箱在黏性底床中沉贯安装的减阻问题,基于黏性泥沙的流变特性,开展了一系列不同振动荷载作用下的室内沉贯模型试验,分析了振动荷载对吸力式沉箱沉贯过程的影响和沉贯减阻效果。试验结果表明：在压力沉贯阶段或吸力沉贯阶段施加高频振动荷载,均能促使吸力式沉箱侧壁周围的土体发生流化,有效降低沉箱的沉贯阻力;减阻效果与振动频率和沉箱的长径比有关,与振动频率成正比,与沉箱的长径比成反比;存在一个临界频率,当振动频率大于该频率后,沉贯阻力随频率的减小不明显;施加高频振动荷载有助于减小吸力沉贯阶段沉箱内的土塞高度,促进沉箱沉贯到位。研究成果可为黏性泥沙流变减阻技术在吸力式沉箱中的应用提供理论依据和技术参考。     

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.     

Model tests on installation and extraction of suction caissons in dense sand

A series of model tests were performed on steel- and Perspex-made suction caissons in saturated dense marine sand to explore installation and extraction behaviors. The extractions of the caisson were conducted by applying monotonic loading or by pumping water into the caisson. Responses of suction caissons to pullout rates, aspect ratios, and extraction manners were examined. Test results show that a cone-shaped subsidence region occurs around the suction caisson during the suction-assisted installation. The pullout bearing capacity of the suction caisson in sand is dominated by the loading rate and the loading manner. For the suction caisson subjected to monotonic loading, the maximum bearing capacity is reached at the pullout rate of about 20.0?mm/s. The mobilized vertical displacement corresponding to the pullout capacity increases with increasing the pullout rate. The passive suction beneath the suction caisson lid reaches the maximum value when the pullout bearing capacity is mobilized. In addition, during the suction caisson extracted by pumping water into the caisson, the maximum pore water pressure in the caisson is obtained under the displacement of approximately 0.04 times the caisson diameter. The absolute values of the maximum pore water pressures for the suction caissons approximately equal those of the maximum vertical resistances at the monotonic pullout rate of 5 mm/s. When the vertical displacements of the suction caissons with the aspect ratio of 1.0 and 2.0 reach 0.92 and 1.77 times the caisson diameter, respectively, the seepage failure occurs around the caissons. Using a scaling method, the test results can be used to predict the time length required for the prototype suction caisson to be extracted from the seabed.     

Components of suction caisson capacity measured in axial pullout tests

Suction caissons are the foundation of choice for offshore structures in deep water. Systematic study of caisson behavior is relegated to the laboratory due to the high cost of full-scale testing. Our laboratory caisson was installed in normally consolidated clay using dead weight and suction. Tensile axial capacity was measured with the top cap vented or sealed, and with the soil undrained or drained. For the common case of rapid pullout with a sealed top, the test results indicate an external side resistance factor (α) of 0.5–0.8 and a reverse end bearing factor (N_c) of 13–21.     

Experimental studies on sand plug formation in suction caisson during extraction

A series of model tests were conducted on Perspex-made suction caissons in saturated dense marine sand to study the sand plug formation during extraction. Suction caissons were extracted by pullout loading or by pumping air into the suction caisson. Effects of the pullout rates, aspect ratios and loading ways (monotonic or sustained) on the pullout capacity, and plug formation were investigated. It was found that the ultimate pullout capacity of the suction caisson increases with increasing the pullout rate. The sand plug formation under the pullout loading is significantly influenced by the pullout rate and the loading way. When the suction caisson is extracted at a relatively slow rate, the general sand boiling through the sand plug along the inner caisson wall occurs. On the contrary, the local sand boiling will occur at the bottom of the suction caisson subjected to a rapid monotonic loading or a sustained loading. Test results of the suction caisson extracted by pumping air into the caisson show that the pressure in the suction caisson almost follows a linear relationship with the upward displacement. The maximum pressures for suction caissons with aspect ratios of 1.0 and 2.0 during extraction by pumping air into the caisson are 1.70 and 2.27 times the maximum suction required to penetrate the suction caisson into sand. It was found that the sand plug moves downward during extraction by pumping air into the caisson and the variation in the sand plug height is mainly caused by the outflow of the sand particles from the inside of the suction caisson to the outside. When the suction caisson model is extracted under the pullout rate of 2?mm/s (0.28?mm/s for the prototype), the hydraulic gradient along the suction caisson wall increases to the maximum value with increasing the penetration depth and then reduces to zero. On the contrary, when extracted under the pullout rate of 10?mm/s (1.4?mm/s for the prototype), the hydraulic gradient along the suction caisson wall increases with increasing the pullout displacement. When extracted by pumping air into the caisson, the hydraulic gradient reaches the critical value, and at the same time, the seepage failure occurs around the suction caisson tip.     

Evaluation of pullout load capacity of suction caissons in sand using a three-dimensional displacement approach

An investigation was conducted to obtain analytical solutions for the pullout behavior of a suction caisson undergoing inclined loads in sand. The inclined load is transformed into an equivalent load system in which the vertical, horizontal, and moment loads are applied on the center of the lid of the suction caisson. The vertical and lateral stiffness coefficients along the skirt of the suction caisson in sands are presented using the new three-dimensional elastic solutions taking into account the nonhomogeneous and nonlinear properties of the sand. The vertical, lateral, and rocking stiffness coefficients on the base of the suction caisson are presented considering the solutions of a hollow rigid cylindrical punch acting on the surface of a soil. The yield, pullout, and failure for sands with the nonhomogeneous and nonlinear characteristics are taken into consideration. The effects of the load inclination, the loading depth, and the aspect ratio on the pullout load capacity of the suction caisson are presented. Behaviour of the suction caisson in sand prior to failure is clarified from the relationship between tensile load, displacement, and rotation and that between depth, vertical pressure, and lateral pressure.     

深水平台吸力沉箱基础工程地质问题分析

针对深水平台吸力沉箱基础,讨论了与沉箱安装有关的分析方法及涉及的工程地质参数,分析了承受竖向拉拔荷载、倾斜与水平荷载作用的吸力沉箱极限承载力的分析方法及涉及的工程地质参数,对与吸力沉箱设计有关的其它问题也进行了分析.在此基础上,阐明了与吸力沉箱设计有关的工程场地调查内容及需要确定的工程地质参数.其目的是为开发深水平台吸...     

Analysis of pullout load capacity of suction caissons in clay by a three-dimensional displacement approach

A study was made to present analytical solutions of pullout load capacity for a suction caisson subjected to inclined tension in clay. The inclined tension on the skirt of the suction caisson is transformed into an equivalent system comprised of the vertical, horizontal, and moment load applied on the center of the lid. The vertical and horizontal stiffness coefficients along the skirt of the suction caisson in clay are presented by three-dimensional elastic solutions considering the nonhomogeneous and nonlinear property of clay. The vertical, horizontal, and rocking stiffness coefficient of the suction caisson on the base are presented considering the solutions of a hollow rigid cylindrical punch acting on the surface of clay. The envelopes of the horizontal and vertical ultimate load capacity for clay are presented. The yield, pullout, and failure for clay are taken into consideration. The effects of load inclination, loading depth, and aspect ratio on the pullout load capacity are shown. Behavior of the suction caisson in clay up to failure is investigated using the relationship between tensile load and displacement and that between depth, vertical, and horizontal pressure.     

Numerical investigation on evolving failure of caisson foundation in sand using the combined Lagrangian-SPH method

Caisson foundations are often used in offshore engineering. However, for an optimum design understanding the failure process of a caisson during its installation and the subsequent external loadings is crucial. This paper focuses on the evolving failure of a caisson foundation in sand by advanced numerical modeling. A combined Lagrangian-smoothed particle hydrodynamics method is adopted to deal with the large deformation analysis. The method with parameters are first calibrated and validated by a simulation of cone penetration test in sand. The results of an experimental campaign of a caisson in the same sand are selected and validated for the numerical model. Then, more representative loading combinations are designated for numerical modeling of failure process and mode. Furthermore, three additional caisson dimensions D/d?=?0.5, 1.5, and 2.0 (changing the ratio of caisson diameter D to skirt length d while keeping the same soil-structure surface contact area) are simulated under six representative combined loading paths. Based on that, the influence of caisson dimension to the failure process and mode is investigated. All results are helpful to estimate all possible sliding surfaces under different monotonic combined loading paths for further limit analysis.