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.     

Pullout behavior of suction anchors in soft marine clays

In the field of ocean engineering, a beginning has been made in the use of large‐sized suction anchors for safe anchoring of large compliant structures. Suction anchors derive most of their uplift resistance from passive suction developed during the pullout movement. This article describes a set of laboratory tests on model suction anchors of three different embedment ratios to estimate the pullout behavior of suction anchors in soft clays typical of Indian marine clays. Tests were conducted on model anchors installed in soil beds prepared at four different consistencies in a test tank. This study shows the influence of soil consistency and embedment ratio (L/D) on the pullout behavior of suction anchors and on the variation of suction pressure at the top of the soil plug. The test results reveal that the behavior of suction anchors is much better than the behavior of open‐ended anchors from the considerations of both capacity and deformation. The consistent development of suction inside the anchor top confirms the plug formation and significant breakout resistance in the form of suction‐induced reversed end bearing. The results are further analyzed in terms of suction breakout factors. Further, the effect of burial depth of suction anchor on pullout behavior is shown.     

Numerical Simulation of Installation Process and Uplift Resistance for An Integrated Suction Foundation in Deep Ocean

A concept design, named integrated suction foundation, is proposed for a tension leg platform (TLP) in deep ocean. The most important improvement in comparing with the traditional one is that a pressure-resistant storage module is designed. It utilizes the high hydrostatic pressure in deep ocean to drive water into the module to generate negative pressure for bucket suction. This work aims to further approve the feasibility of the concept design in the aspect of penetration installation and the uplift force in-place. Seepage is generated during suction penetration, and can have both positive and negative effects on penetration process. To study the effect of seepage on the penetration process of the integrated suction foundation, finite element analysis (FEA) is carried out in this work. In particular, an improved methodology to calculate the penetration resistance is proposed for the integrated suction foundation with respect to the reduction factor of penetration resistance. The maximum allowable negative pressure during suction penetration is calculated with the critical hydraulic gradient method through FEA. The simulation results of the penetration process show that the integrated suction foundation can be installed safely. Moreover, the uplift resistance of the integrated suction foundation is calculated and the feasibility of the integrated suction foundation working on-site is verified. In all, the analysis in this work further approves the feasibility of the integrated suction foundation for TLPs in deep ocean applications.     

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。     

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。     

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.     

Upper Bound Solutions for Uplift Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Suction Caisson Foundation

Suction caisson foundation derives most of their uplift resistance from passive suction developed during the pullout movement. It was observed that the passive suction generated in soil at the bottom of the caisson and the failure mode of suction caisson foundation subjecting pullout loading behaves as a reverse compression failure mechanism.The upper bound theorems have been proved to be a powerful method to find the critical failure mechanism and critical load associated with foundations, buried caissons and other geotechnical structures. However, limited attempts have been reported to estimate the uplift bearing capacity of the suction caisson foundation using the upper bound solution. In this paper, both reverse failure mechanisms from Prandtl and Hill were adopted as the failure mechanisms for the computation of the uplift bearing capacity of the suction caisson. New equations were proposed based on both failure mechanisms to estimate the pullout capacity of the suction caisson. The proposed equations were verified by the test results and experimental data from published literature. And the two solutions agree reasonably well with the other test results. It can be proved that both failure mechanisms are reasonably and more consistent with the actual force condition.     

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.     

桶基平台负压沉贯施工中监测数据的处理构思

桶基平台负压沉贯必须在严格监控下进行。“863- 82 0 - 1 0 - 0 1”项目在施工中使用了 2 6个监测器 ,控制系统根据这些监测数据判断沉贯的姿态和趋势并由工控机的专家系统决策 ,以实施必要的控制。软件是监控系统的神经中枢 ,桶基平台负压沉贯施工中监测数据的处理构思是关键。     

Self-Weight Penetration Characteristics of the Suction Foundation with Different Diameters in Sand

During the self-weight penetration process of the suction foundation on the dense sand seabed, due to the shallow penetration depth, the excess seepage seawater from the outside to the inside of the foundation may cause the negative pressure penetration process failure. Increasing the self-weight penetration depth has become an important problem for the safe construction of the suction foundation. The new suction anchor foundation has been proposed, and the self-weight penetration characteristics of the traditional suction foundation and the new suction anchor foundation are studied and compared through laboratory experiments and analysis. For the above two foundation types, by considering five foundation diameters and two bottom shapes, 20 models are tested with the same penetration energy. The effects of different foundation diameters on the penetration depth, the soil plug characteristics, and the surrounding sand layer are studied. The results show that the penetration depth of the new suction foundation is smaller than that of the traditional suction foundation. With the same penetration energy, the penetration depth of the suction foundation becomes shallower as the diameter increases. The smaller the diameter of the suction foundation, the more likely it is to be fully plugged, and the smaller the height of the soil plug will be. In the stage of self-weight penetration, the impact cavity appears around the foundation, which may affect the stability of the suction foundation.

     

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.     

Tidal phase control of sediment discharge from the Yangtze River

Tidal phase plays a major role in controlling sediment discharge from the Yangtze River estuary in eastern China. Direct measurements indicate that during spring tide in mid-November 1981 approximately 3 times the sediment passed down the main channel of the river as during the next neap tide, 3 days later. The estuary presumably acts as a conduit for riverine sediment during spring tide but as a sink during neap tide. Tidal phase control of sediment discharge appears to be primarily dependent upon tidal range relative to estuarine depth rather than river discharge or absolute tidal range per se.     

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.     

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.     

Modelling eruption cycles and decay of mud volcanoes

Recent debates about the eruptive behavior of mud volcanoes and their activation mechanisms have been driven particularly by the LUSI eruption in Indonesia that resulted in huge commercial and cultural damages. Numerical modeling of mud volcanoes, of which few exist, can provide insight into eruptive behavior and contribute to hazard evaluation. In this paper, we present a simple model to describe fluid escape from an underground reservoir through a conduit, extruded as a mud volcano at the surface. The governing equations result in oscillatory behavior, and we study the influence of changes in rheological properties of surrounding rock and fluid characteristics of the mud on extrusion dynamics. We focus on understanding long-term eruption behavior, flow cycles, and decay factors. Model results can be used to estimate the discharge rates and extruded volume from assumptions on the mud reservoir and conduit, or conversely, the reservoir or conduit properties from discharge rates.     

海上平台桶形基础模型负压沉贯试验数据处理与分析

海上平台桶形基础是一种新型海洋石油开发技术,其特点是利用负压将桶形基础贯入海底。本文介绍了单模型和四桶模型平台负压沉贯试验数据处理方法,对负压作用下桶形基础的沉贯过程进行了分析,探索出桶形基础平台机理现场条件下的沉贯方法。     

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.     

剪土环对筒型基础负压沉贯下沉过程中渗流场的影响研究

筒型基础沉放施工中,随着入土深度的增加,筒体所受的侧摩阻力越大,当达到一定程度时,将导致基础无法继续下沉.为了避免这种情况的发生,在实际的施工中可以在锚体上设置剪土环以减小侧摩阻力的影响.论文针对海上吸力锚基础这一新型海洋平台基础形式研究中面临的吸力锚负压沉贯下沉中设置剪土环及剪土环对其渗流场的影响这一问题,通过对吸力锚渗流场的有限元分析,运用有限元软件ANSYS对锚体周围土体渗流场进行建模分析,利用有限元计算的结果来分析剪土环对渗流场的影响.     

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。     

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.