Foundation engineering for offshore gravity structures

This is the third in a series of three state‐of‐the‐art papers concerning the geotechnical engineering aspects of the installation of gravity platforms in the North Sea. Andresen et al. (1979) discuss the planning and execution of offshore site investigations and the procedures used to obtain soil engineering parameters. Eide et al. (1979) review the details of the different platform designs and the installation procedures for the thirteen gravity structures that so far have been placed in the North Sea in 70 m to 153 m of water. In this paper, the foundation engineering for gravity structures installed in the North Sea is reviewed including recommended analyses of permanent and cyclic foundation deformations, dynamic behavior, foundation stability, skirt penetration resistance and base contact stresses, potential piping and erosion problems, and stresses in oil wells and risers. Field performance observations are reported, and it is concluded that gravity structures may safely be installed in offshore areas with less favorable platform foundation conditions than so far encountered in the North Sea.     

正压冲固平台结构分析中基础边界条件的影响

正压冲固平台是一种采用短桩加固基础的新型海洋采油平台,对于这种新型的平台结构,在结构分析和构件强度校核中必须考虑其有限元模型的基础边界条件处理问题。本文提出了正压冲固平台有限元计算模型中基础边界条件的一种简化方法,将两个水平方向的扭转自由度简化为扭转弹簧边界元,其余自由度简化为固定约束。通过计算分析得到了不同的边界约束刚度系数的取值对平台总体位移和强度校核应力的影响及变化趋势。结论是,平台结构对约束刚度系数K的反应在10^4～10^4之间时比较明显,对K的敏感度最为强烈：在此范围之外,平台反应分别接近于简支约束情况和刚性约束情况。尤其对于接近约束边界的单元,其应力变化最敏感。     

Dynamic Finite Element Analysis for Interaction between Two Phase Saturated Soil Foundation and Platform

In this paper, the foundation soil of offshore structure is simulated as a two phase saturated porous medium. The dynamic equations of porous medium and finite element formulation are given. For structural analysis, the technique of multilevel substructure is used, and the saturated soil analysis is set in the highest level substructure model. Based on these theories a dynamic finite element analysis program DIASS for the analysis of interaction between two phase ocean soil foundation and platform structures has been developed. A numerical example is given here to illustrate the influence of the pore water in soil on the structural response of an ocean platform.     

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。     

Observed foundation behaviour of concrete gravity platforms installed in the North Sea 1973–1978

Available measurements of foundation behaviour of the 13 concrete gravity platforms installed in the North Sea in the years 1973–1978 are presented. The measurements cover both the installation phase and the early part of the operation period. For the installation phase, measurements of dowel and skirt penetration resistance, base contact stresses, tilt, piping and erosion, are presented. For the operation period, the presentation includes measurements of settlements, pore water pressures, base contact stresses, permanent lateral displacements, cyclic displacements, dynamic behaviour and erosion. The measurements are used to back calculate soil properties and to evaluate the adequacy of the design procedures which have been used. The observations give valuable experience with respect to the foundation performance of offshore gravity platforms.     

Seismic Collapse Performance of Jacket Offshore Platforms with Time-Variant Zonal Corrosion Model

Corrosion of offshore platforms is inevitable. In an ocean corrosion environment, the strength of a platform is weakened greatly. When simultaneously subjected to earthquakes or other extreme loads, the ultimate bearing capacity of the corroded platform is dramatically reduced, resulting in compounded damage from both corrosion and earthquake. Thus, the influence of corrosion cannot be neglected in the seismic performance investigation of platforms. The commonly used corrosion model in platform design is uniform corrosion, and the corrosion rate rule for any parts or zones in a platform is the same. In real cases, however, there are significant differences between the corrosion characteristics in different parts of a platform. Based on theoretical aspects and measured data, a zonal time-variant corrosion model of a platform is developed for a seismic collapse performance investigation. The pushover and incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) methods are adopted here to calculate the collapse margin ratio (CMR), there serve strength ratio (RSR) and ductility coefficient (μ) that are frequently used for the safety reserve evaluation of a platform. The failure reason and collapse probability of platforms considering different service periods are compared. The most prominent feature of the proposed time-variant zonal corrosion model is to capture potential switch of weak location and resulting failure path of corroded jacket offshore platforms although the proposed model needs further calibration by more reliable in-field measured data. As expected, corrosion can definitely cause a reduction in earthquake resistance of a jacket offshore platform, as well as ultimate deformability. The coupled effect between the time-variant vibration properties of the platform and the spectral characteristics of selected motions, the collapse-level spectral acceleration (SA) does not always decrease with increasing corrosion degree. The curves corresponding to normalized CMR and RSR agree very well with each other in the early corrosion development stage and service period beyond 30 years. Some distinct differences can be found during the two stages, with the greatest difference up to 10% for the example platform.     

Calculation of Hydro-Dynamic Stability of the Soil Inside Bucket in the Process of Bucket Foundation Penetration

—The offshore platform with bucket foundations is a new type of offshore platform that distin-guishes from traditional template platforms by replacing driven piles with bucket foundations.The suctionpenentration of bucket foundation is a complicated hydro-dynamic process.The key of this process is theseepage field caused by the difference of pressure applied on purpose inside and outside the bucket.The ap-pearance and developement of seepage field has a decisive influence on the suction penetration process.Inthis study,the finite element analysis method is applied to the dynamic simulation of the seepage field ofsuction penetration of bucket foundation.A criterion is suggested to distinguish the hydro-dynamic stabili-ty of the soil inside the bucket according to the critical hydraulic gradient method.The reliability of themodel and its applicability to engineering practice have been proved through comparison between the re-sults of model test and finite element calculation.     

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。     

海上桶基平台基础边界条件的简化方法与结构优化

海上桶型基础平台采用桶型基础这一新型的基础型式,桶基平台在结构强度校核计算和结构优化中必须考虑其有限元分析模型的基础边界条件简化问题。本文提出了桶基平台有限元分析模型中的基础边界条件简化方法,将桶型基础边界简化为位移弹簧边界元,给出了弹簧刚度的计算方法。通过模型试验与本文提出方法的计算结果的比较,证明本文提出的方法是正确的。同时,将本文提出的方法应用于桶基火炬平台的结构优化,表明该方法是实际可行的并且对于桶基平台的结构强度校核计算与结构优化有重要意义。对于桶基火炬平台的结构优化采用了适合离散变量优化求解的遗传算法,优化的结果有效地降低了结构重量,降低了工程造价。     

冰激振动下海洋平台地基土的动力液化研究

通过动力荷载分析,确定海冰荷载可以引起平台筒边土体液化,并阐述了判别土体液化的方法.利用冰激振动软件以及有限元软件对结构进行动力学分析,得到各筒边土体的最大剪应力.通过室内三轴实验和现场观测结果确定土体物理力学参数,利用判定公式计算得到土体抗液化极限应力.将两者进行对比,可判断筒边土体是否可能发生液化.以渤海某油田筒型基础平台为例,对平台基础土液化安全性进行了判别,证明该方法具有较强的创新性和可行性,对于这一类浅基础平台的地基土液化分析有一定的实践指导作用.     

胜利埕岛油田单井拉油平台的设计浅析

胜利埕岛油田自1993年正式产油以来,已经建成简易式的单井拉油平台10多座,无论是设计、建造和施工还是运行管理都积累了许多成功的经验,根据多年来从事的浅海简易式拉油平台设计经验,结合目前埕岛油田该种类型平台的现况,从设计构思的角度着重阐述了平台结构形式的确定、平台方位的选择、平面布置、系统配套以及安全、环保、救生等系统的设置,以期为今后该种类型平台的设计提供一个较完整的思路。     

海上平台桶基沉贯渗流场的有限元法数值模拟

桶形基础平台是一种新型的海洋平台,这种型式的平台与传统的导管架式平台的主要区别在于采用桶形基础代替打下桩基础,桶形基础的负压沉贯过程是一个复杂的水动力过程,其关键在于主动脉施加的桶内外压力差产生渗流场,渗流场的形成与发展对于负压沉贯有决定性的影响。本文用有限元分析方法对桶形基础负压沉贯流流场进行动态模拟,建立了桶形基础负压沉贯过程中渗流场的有限元分析模型,模型试验的结果与按有限元分析计算模型得一的     

海洋工程中桩基水平向承载力可靠指标的影响因素分析

桩基础水平向承载力的计算是海洋工程中桩基设计的重要组成部分。论文在搜集了大量平台建设资料的基础上,以现有的桩基水平向承载力的设计计算方法为依据,进行了水平向承载力的可靠度研究。对影响可靠指标的各个因素进行了灵敏度分析。     

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。     

Fatigue analysis of offshore well conductors: Part I – Study overview and evaluation of Series 1 centrifuge tests in normally consolidated to lightly over-consolidated kaolin clay

An important aspect of deepwater well integrity assurance is conductor fatigue analysis under environmental loads acting on the riser system during drilling operation. Fatigue damage arises from stress changes in a structure due to cyclic loading. In practice, the lateral cyclic soil response is typically modelled using Winkler p–y springs. An appropriate soil model for conductor–soil interaction analysis is the one based on which the absolute magnitudes of stresses and their changes can accurately be predicted for well integrity evaluation. The API recommendations for p–y curves, which are often used for conductor–soil interaction analysis, have originally been developed for piled foundation and are inappropriate for well fatigue analysis. To that end, an extensive study involving four series of centrifuge model tests and FE numerical analyses was conducted to fundamentally study conductor–soil interaction under a wide spectrum of loading conditions. The tests simulated conductor installations in normally to over consolidated clays, and medium-dense clean sands. Soil models were developed specifically for conductor fatigue analysis for each of the soil types. The test results and soil models are presented in two papers. The first paper, Part I, presents an overview of the study and first series tests in normally to lightly over-consolidated kaolin clay and discusses the observations made with regards to monotonic and cyclic soil resistances and their relationship to conductor fatigue modelling. The second paper, Part II, presents centrifuge test results in normally to lightly over-consolidated Golf of Mexico (GoM) clay, over-consolidated natural clay and medium-dense clean sands along with the respective soil models developed for conductor fatigue damage prediction. Overall, the accuracy of fatigue life predictions using these novel soil models is very high – generally within about a few percentage of the measured values.     

Wave run-up on slender piles in design conditions — Model tests and design rules for offshore wind

Wave run-up on foundations is a very important factor in the design of entrance platforms for offshore wind turbines. When the Horns Reef 1 wind turbine park in Denmark was designed the vertical wave run-up phenomenon was not well known in the industry, hence not sufficiently considered in the design of Horns Reef 1. As a consequence damage was observed on the platforms. This has been the situation for several sites and design tools for platform loads are lacking. As a consequence a physical model test study was initiated at Aalborg University to clarify wave run-up on cylindrical piles for different values of diameter to water depth ratios (D/h) and different wave heights to water depth ratios (H/h) for both regular and irregular waves. A calculation model is calibrated based on stream function theory for crest kinematics and velocity head stagnation theory. Due to increased velocities close to the pile an empirical factor is included on the velocity head. The evaluation of the calculation model shows that an accurate design rule can be established even in breaking wave conditions. However, calibration of a load model showed that it was necessary to increase the run-up factor on the velocity head by 40% to take into account the underestimation of run-up for breaking or nearly breaking waves given that they produce thin run-up wedges and air entrainment, two factors not coped with by the measurement system.     

桶形基础平台三维有限元稳定性分析

以我国第一座桶形基础采油平台工程实例为原型，采用三维有限元计算方法对桶形基础稳定性分析。平台在波浪、风等荷载作用下，其稳定性不仅与平台的整体结构有关，而且与桶形基础及其周围土体相互作用相关。在计算中，利用薄层摩擦单元模拟土与结构间的相互作用，取得了很好的效果。分析结果表明桶形基础采油平台在设计条件下运行是较为稳定的。     

Pit bearing capacity effect on status of soil plug during pile driving in ocean engineering

Foundation piles of the offshore oil platforms in the Bohai Bay are usually longer than 100 m with a diameter larger than 2 m.Driving such long and large-sized piles into the ground is a difficult task.It needs a comprehensive consider ation of the pile dimensions,soil properties and the hammer energy.Thoughtful drivability analysis has to be performed in the design stage.It has been shown that judging whether the soil column inside the pile is fully plugged,which makes the pile behave as close-ended,strongly influences the accuracy of drivability analysis.Engineering practice repeatedly indicates that the current methods widely used for soil plug judgment often give incorrect results,leading the designers to make a wrong decision.It has been found that this problem is caused by the ignorance of the bearing capacity provided by the soil surrounding the pile.Based on the Terzaghi’s bearing capacity calculation method for deep foundation,a new approach for judging soil plug status is put forward,in which the surcharge effect has been considered and the dynamic effect coefficient is included.This approach has been applied to some practical engineering projects successfully,which may give more reasonable results than the currently used method does.     

Spar平台湿拖阻力性能研究

海洋平台由拖船拖至工作地点,计算海洋平台的湿拖阻力在实际工程应用中具有重要意义。采用实验和数值模拟两种方法进行桁架式Spar平台的湿拖阻力性能研究,并将两种结果进行对比。并分析了桁架式Spar平台的垂荡板间流场的变化规律。研究结果表明,Spar平台的湿拖阻力中,摩擦阻力所占总阻力的比例小于10%;在平台拖曳运动的前几秒中,垂荡板间流体剧烈运动,速度和压力显著变化,随后就运动慢慢变缓;Spar平台在低速拖曳时会产生明显的波浪,尾部有回流。     

采油平台淘空防护措施的试验研究

通过室内试验,研究了采油平台的冲淘机理和防护措施,对仿生海底、仿生林、抛石块、抛石子袋等防冲淘措施进行了方案设计和试验,完成了导管架式、桶形基础式、沉垫式3种采油平台的冲淘及防护措施试验研究,提出和完善了多层次抛石防护技术,并将研究成果成功应用于海上防护工程.提出的研究思路以及得到的研究成果,对解决胜利油田海区粉土地基的防冲淘难题具有重要指导意义.