Recent contributions of geotechnical centrifuge modelling to the understanding of jack-up spudcan behaviour

The paper presents an overview of the recent contributions of centrifuge modelling to the understanding of soil-structure interaction and the development of design and predictive methods in the field of mobile jack-up drilling rig foundations. Both advantages and limitations of the centrifuge methods are detailed and key examples are presented. The benefits provided by centrifuge modelling to the development of analysis methods that are now being used within the jack-up industry are highlighted. To conclude, industry trends and research opportunities are discussed, as is the possible role of the geotechnical centrifuge in finding solutions to these new needs.     

Measured and calculated spudcan penetration profiles for case histories in sand-over-clay

This paper reports five case histories of jack-up rig installation in layered soil profiles where a dominate feature was a stronger sand layer overlaying a weaker clay layer. In all cases a relatively continuous load-penetration profile was measured during installation of each of the three spudcan foundations. Summary site-investigation data is provided and consisted of mainly torvane, minature vane, unconsolidated undrained triaxial and pocket penetrometer tests for determining undrained shear strength of the clays and blow counts for deriving the relative density of sand. A statistical averaging method recommended in the InSafeJIP guidelines was used to provide the best fit of the undrained shear strength profile in the clay as this then allowed for spudcan load-penetration profiles to be estimated without introduction of user interpretation or bias. Sand properties were taken as provided in the original site-investigation report. Comparisons between load-penetration profiles calculated using the industry-standard ISO guideline, more recently proposed mechanism-based calculation method and three-dimensional large deformation finite element simulations are made with the measured data, leading to valuable insights for practitioners for estimating behaviour of jack-up installations in problematic sand-over-clay soil profiles.     

桩靴贯入黏土层时邻近群桩相互作用分析

为研究钻井船插桩对邻近平台群桩相互作用的影响,采用耦合欧拉拉格朗日(CEL)方法对桩靴贯入黏土层时邻近群桩中各桩荷载分担比、桩头附加位移及两桩相互作用系数进行了分析。首先通过对缩尺模型试验的数值分析,验证了CEL方法的可行性;然后进一步分析了桩靴贯入黏土层时对邻近群桩相互作用的影响;最后探讨了净间距、桩间距对群桩相互作用的影响。结果表明,在桩靴贯入中,前桩的荷载分担比大于后桩,且桩靴贯入至一定深度后,当净间距越小或桩间距越大时,前桩的荷载分担比越大、后桩的荷载分担比越小,但各桩的荷载分担比随桩靴贯入深度增加时的变化规律不变;净间距越大,桩头附加位移及相互作用系数越小;在桩靴贯入时,由于受群桩遮拦效应的影响,桩头附加位移及相互作用系数随桩间距的变化规律同插桩前有所不同,当桩间距大于3倍桩径时,随桩间距的增加而减小,当桩间距小于3倍桩径时,随桩间距的增加而增大。     

自升式钻井平台桩靴踩脚印应对措施对比研究

基于现有规范与文献研究提出的减小桩靴踩脚印附加响应的相关措施,首先基于耦合欧拉—拉格朗日(CEL)定量分析了传统纺锤形桩靴与新型桩靴在不同工况条件下插桩时桩靴地基土体相互作用机制,明确了最不利桩靴踩脚印工况时的插桩偏心距与桩坑深度。基于该最不利工况条件,对比分析了新型六孔莲蓬形桩靴、试踩法与地基钻孔法3种桩靴踩脚印应对措施的适用性与有效性。结果表明,相较于传统纺锤形桩靴,采用六孔莲蓬形桩靴使桩靴倾斜角与桩腿偏移距分别降低了33.13%和48.26%,说明结构在位稳定性更高。此外,通过对比分析得出,采用最佳设置方式进行试踩与钻孔处理后再进行桩靴贯入时,桩靴受到的水平滑动力峰值与桩腿RP₁处弯矩峰值相较于未处理时分别降低了29.47%、29.17%、34.7%、37.7%。可见,3种应对措施均能有效降低桩靴踩脚印后产生的不利影响,提高桩靴结构的在位稳定性。以最终减小不利附加响应程度作为评定标准：地基钻孔法>新型六孔莲蓬形桩靴>试踩法,由于地基钻孔法与试踩法均需增设额外机械设备及施工工序,大幅提高了工程造价,因此,在实际工程中,需要根据实际情况恰当选择应对措施。研究成果可为实际工程中应对桩靴踩脚印工况响应提供一定参考与借鉴。     

新型平台桩靴在“砂-黏”地层中穿刺的数值模拟研究

开发了一种新型平台桩靴,可通过活动板转动实现自升式平台不同阶段桩靴受力面积的灵活变化。基于大变形有限元方法,模拟新型桩靴基础在“砂-黏”地层中的贯入过程,分析了活动板转角、砂层厚度比、摩擦角和黏土层不排水抗剪强度对新型桩靴贯入阻力的影响,并与普通桩靴的贯入响应比较。数值分析中,上覆砂土和下层黏土分别采用摩尔库伦模型和修正Tresca模型进行模拟。结果表明：新型桩靴穿刺时,土层参数对峰值阻力的影响规律与普通桩靴相同,但其峰值阻力随活动板转角的变化而变化,无法直接使用具有等效面积普通桩靴的穿刺预测方法。考虑各项关键影响因素,结合穿刺破坏时的地基破坏模式,基于数值模拟结果提出了适用于新型桩靴的贯入阻力预测公式。     

混合破坏模式在自升式钻井平台插桩中的应用

自升式钻井平台插桩深度分析要求高,难度大,可检验性非常强。常规计算模式主要为“穿刺破坏模式”和“排挤破坏模式”。对于某些地质条件复杂的井场,按这两种模式分析计算的结果仍存在个别预测不准的情况。因此,如何提高钻井平台插桩分析的准确性,是目前需要攻克的一个技术难点。在总结工程插桩实践经验的基础上,提出了一种新的分析模式,即“混合破坏模式”。以南海一个工程实例进行具体分析,该井场应用“混合破坏模式”分析的插桩结果与实际结果较为吻合。并对数个复杂井场的实际插桩结果进行了统计分析,总结了桩端土体破坏模式的影响因素及“混合破坏模式”的特点,为在复杂地层中进行插桩分析提供了参考。     

复杂土层中自升式平台桩靴安装穿刺预测

由于复杂海洋工程地质条件的普遍性,自升式平台在安装过程中穿刺事故频发,近年来涌现出大量针对自升式平台桩靴基础在复杂土层中穿刺预测方法的研究。为了方便工程设计人员的理解和使用,首先简单介绍这些研究中所采用的技术手段,总结现行规范ISO 19905-1建议的桩靴在复杂土层中贯入阻力的预测方法以及最新文献中提出的新的设计方法,并对规范方法和新方法的优缺点进行了评价。所总结的设计方法针对国内外常见的含穿刺风险的海洋地基形式,包括双层"砂—黏"、三层"硬—软—硬"黏性土、三层"软—硬—软"黏性土、三层"黏—砂—黏"地层以及四层"黏—砂—黏—硬层土"地层。通过对离心机模型试验的预测,对规范方法和新方法的预测精度进行了比较,对比结果显示新方法对桩靴穿刺破坏的预测更为合理精确。     

钻井船插桩对导管架平台群桩影响的CEL有限元分析

采用CEL大变形非线性有限元方法并结合非线性地基梁模型对海洋石油941钻井船在番禺10-2平台钻井插桩时对邻近导管架平台群桩的影响进行了分析,并得到以下结论:1)钻井船插桩过程中,桩身最大位移及出现的位置随钻井船插桩深度增加而下移且钻井船插桩位置与群桩距离越近,对桩的影响越大;2)在插桩过程中,桩身最大弯矩出现的位置与桩身最大位移出现的位置一致,而桩身最大剪力出现的位置较桩身最大弯矩出现的位置偏下;3)与没有插桩影响的群桩相比,桩身最大弯矩与桩身最大剪力明显增加。     

挤压破坏模型在自升式钻井船插桩分析中应用——以海洋石油941号钻井船为例

自升式钻井船对于上硬下软地层的极限承载力分析常用刺穿分析方法。通过对"SNAME"推荐的"挤压破坏模型"与传统刺穿破坏模型内生机理的分析,并应用这两种方法对海洋石油941号钻井船在南海两个井场的承载力分析结果进行对比,探讨挤压破坏模型的适用条件,以提高预测钻井船插桩深度的准确性。     

自升式海洋平台地基强度稳定性分析

自升式海洋平台地基强度稳定性是保证作业安全的基本条件。结合土力学理论及有限元分析,提出一套较完整的地基强度稳定性分析方法,并结合一个实际算例,探讨影响地基强度稳定性的几个关键因素,对平台设计人员及使用者具有一定的参考价值。     

Undrained bearing capacity of spudcan under combined loading

The bearing capacities of spudcan foundation under pure vertical (V),horizontal (H),moment (M) loading and the combined loading are studied based on a series of three-dimensional finite element analysis.The effects of embedment ratio and soil non-homogeneity on the bearing capacity are investigated in detail.The capacities of spudcan under different pure loading are expressed in non-dimensional bearing capacity factors,which are compared with published results.Ultimate limit states under combined loading are presented by failure envelopes,which are expressed in terms of dimensionless and normalized form in three-dimensional load space.The comparison between the presented failure envelopes and available published numerical results reveals that the size and shape of failure envelopes are dependent on the embedment ratio and the non-homogeneity of the soil.     

海洋桩靴基础穿刺破坏实时预测研究

海上自升式钻井平台以其造价低廉、便于移动和安装的优势被广泛应用于海洋地质勘察、风电安装和油气开采等领域,其基础类型多为桩靴基础。为了保证平台能在恶劣的海洋环境中安全作业,桩靴基础需要贯入海床以下一定深度以获得足够的承载力。然而,当桩靴基础在上硬下软土层中贯入时可能发生穿刺破坏导致平台损坏甚至倾覆。已有的桩靴穿刺破坏分析方法基于预设的地层参数预测穿刺荷载,由于无法考虑海床中地层及土性的不确定性,其准确性有待提高。将桩靴基础贯入过程中的监测数据与穿刺破坏机理相结合,通过66组离心机模型试验结果表征土体不确定性的影响,发展贝叶斯预测模型,实现了峰值阻力和穿刺深度的实时预测。基于规范推荐的荷载扩展分析法和冲剪系数分析法,建立了适用于规范法的概率模型,采用该模型对上砂下黏土层中桩靴基础的穿刺行为进行了预测,结果表明所提方法的预测精度随着监测数据的增加而提高,预测得到的峰值阻力误差在10%以内。     

Evaluation of long-term extreme response statistics of jack-up platforms

This paper is concerned with the models appropriate for the dynamic assessment of jack-ups, concentrating particularly on the long-term response due to random ocean waves and on work-hardening plasticity models used for spud-can response. A methodology for scaling of short-term statistics, calculated using a Constrained NewWave technique, is shown in a numerical experiment for an example jack-up and central North Sea location. The difference in long-term extreme response statistics due to various footing assumptions is emphasised. Results for two environmental load conditions are described (one excluding and one including wind and current effects) and the role of sea-state severity in the variation of short-term extreme response statistics is also highlighted.     

Reduction of jack-up and crane vessel resistance and bow swamping

A large bow wave forms when blunt-shaped vessels like self-propelled jack-up crane vessels (liftboats) operate at high speeds. Above a critical speed, this bow wave spills over the bow causing swamping. To investigate this phenomena, towing tank tests of a 1/25 scale model liftboat hull were done over a speed range of 3–8 kn. The test showed above 4 kn the bow wave formed and the vessel trimmed by the bow. At speeds above 8 kn the bow wave spilled over the bow (swamping). To cancel this critical bow wave a vertical bow plate was fitted ahead of the liftboat bow. This bow plate reduced the bow wave formation and achieved a 10–15% reduction in the towing resistance. The wave cancellation bow plate can reduce the liftboat power or increase its liftboat speed and operating range.     

黏土中桩靴底部吸附力产生机理研究

在海洋工程中,移动钻井平台在作业结束后需要转场时,经常会遇到拔桩困难的问题,桩靴底部的吸附力是上拔力的重要组成部分,明确其产生机理及发展规律对于上拔力计算与缓解上拔困难问题有重要意义。通过室内模型试验研究了黏土中桩靴底部真空度对桩靴吸附力产生机理的影响,试验结果表明,桩靴底部真空度的变化对上拔力的影响显著,而桩靴贯入深度和上拔速率会对真空度产生影响。当真空度达到峰值时,桩靴底部吸附力与上拔力几乎同时达到峰值,因此可以通过减小桩靴底部真空度的措施来减小上拔力。根据试验结果,提出了运用真空吸盘理论来计算桩靴底部吸附力的计算公式。所述吸附力计算方法与试验结果进行对比,其误差较小,对工程实践具有一定的参考意义。     

Discussion on key points of wind load of jack-up unit

The anti-overturning ability and structure safety of jack-up unit in in-place condition are often affected by environment loads, especially wind load. According to the MODU rule, the projected area method is used for calculating the wind load. However, the calculated results are conservative and not good for structure optimization design. In this paper, a 400 ft jack-up is studied as an example. Based on the wind tunnel test and numerical simulation method, some key points of wind load calculation, such as shielding effect, lift effect and shape coefficient of component, are discussed. The study shows that the points mentioned above, which are ignored in the MODU rule calculation, result in the conservative result.     

Experimental investigation on the effect of spudcan shape on spudcan-footprint interaction

The interaction between a spudcan and an existing footprint is one of the major concerns during jack-up rig installation. The influence of spudcan-footprint interaction has recently been well addressed by a number of researchers. A lack of investigation exists in mitigating spudcan-footprint interaction issues. In the field, stomping and successive repositioning is conventionally used in installing a rig adjacent to an existing footprint. Water jetting and perforation drilling are also sometimes suggested. This paper reports a measure for easing spudcan-footprint interaction issues, with the efficiency of a spudcan with 4 slots tested through model tests carried out at 1 g on the laboratory floor. The soil conditions tested simulate soft to moderate seabed strength profiles close to the mudline, varying the undrained shear strength. The most critical reinstallation locations of 0.5D and 1D (D = spudcan diameter) and existing footprint depths of 0.33D and 0.66D were investigated. By comparing with a conventional spudcan, the spudcan with slots reduced the induced maximum moment, horizontal force, and horizontal sliding distance by up to 80%, 40%, and 98% respectively. Critically, no additional operations, such as stomping/repositioning, perforation drilling, water jetting, are required to be performed offshore.     

基于BP神经网络的深水自升式海洋平台智能控制模型试验研究

基于BP神经网络控制方法设计了一种适用于自升式海洋平台的智能控制系统。为了验证该控制系统的有效性,以墨西哥湾海域某典型深水自升式海洋平台为原型,根据动力相似准则按照1∶40的相似比设计海洋平台试验模型,采用磁流变阻尼器作为实施该智能控制方法的控制器,并对其主要参数进行了设计。在此基础上,在波浪水池中分别对有、无安装控制系统的自升式海洋平台模型进行了多工况的波浪试验,通过对比安装控制系统前后平台结构的响应幅度,研究了控制系统的振动控制效果。试验结果表明:基于BP神经网络的磁流变阻尼智能控制系统能够有效地控制自升式海洋平台结构的动力响应,且控制效果稳定。     

冰对锥体结构作用力的预测模型分析

通过对作用在锥体结构上的各种静冰力预测模型的介绍,根据大量实验室模拟测试数据,运用直方图对比、无量纲效应分析及统计分析等手段,对有关静冰力计算公式进行了全面分析与确认.所采用的分析方法为我国渤海辽东湾JZ20-2平台原型冰荷载测试数据与预测模型的比较,为利用原型观测数据建立适合于我国渤海环境条件下冰对锥体结构作用力预测模型,提供了有效的技术手段,同时也为有冰海域结构物的可靠性分析提供了各统计量有价值的参考数据.     

Experimental investigation of jetting effect on spudcan extraction from soft clay

The jack-up unit may suffer difficult extraction from soft clay attributed to the large embedment and suction. To ease spudcan extraction, the jetting technique is extensively adopted. The jetting effect on spudcan extraction is investigated with a series of model tests. Firstly, the effectiveness of top jetting is investigated, and it is found that the top jetting is not effective in reducing extraction resistance. Secondly, the efficiency of different jetting procedures are studied. It is revealed that jetting prior to extraction reduces the suction by increasing the excess pore pressure at spudcan base. And the jetting after extraction begins reduces the suction by filling the gap formed under the spudcan with jetting water and eliminating cavitation. Finally, tests with different jetting times, jetting rates, jetting pressures, and jetting nozzle locations and numbers are conducted. It is found that the effect of jetting time converges as it increases. The flow rate of jetting prior to extraction has little effect on jetting efficiency, whereas the flow rate of jetting after the extraction begins has significant influences on the jetting efficiency. Jetting pressure also has great effect on jetting efficiency, and converges as it increases. The closer the nozzles are located to the spudcan edge, the sooner the post-peak extraction resistance decreases. And the jetting efficiency increases with the nozzle number. The findings from the experimental studies can serve as a reference for future studies on the operation and optimization design of a jack-up jetting system.