Discussion: A review on the behaviour of helical piles as a potential offshore foundation system

Abstract

Helical piles have emerged as an attractive foundation system for offshore applications with renewed interest from the offshore community. Significant research gap currently exists in transferring this technology offshore and this paper discusses how existing and emerging knowledge can be successfully used to bridge some of the gaps. We focus on the Coupled Eulerian Lagrangian (CEL) large deformation finite element (LDFE) modelling technique that is commercially available and can be used to model the three-dimensional installation process with consideration of strain rate and softening effects in soft offshore clays. A helical pile of L?=?7.5?m long is modelled with one or two large-diameter helices (D?=?2?m) attached to a central shaft of d?=?0.5?m in diameter.The net effect of strain rate and softening is to increase the installation torque. The measured torque is within the range of 200–400?kN.m for the offshore clay and the pile geometry studied. Additional helices increase the uplift force but to a lesser degree than that of the measured torque. Remoulding induced strength reduction is found to be within the range of 25–33% of the intact clay strength. Issues of extracting and reusing offshore helical pile foundations are discussed.     

黄海海域陆相中生界油气远景

黄海海域油气勘探已40余载，尚未实现油气突破，其找油前景引起石油地质学家的极大关注。根据前人的认识和最新研究成果，结合邻区油气地化资料，探讨了黄海海域中生界地层生、储、盖特征，特别是白垩系，它分布广，厚度大，烃源岩达到较好生油岩标准，并且生、储、盖组合理想，中生界是该区下部油气勘探首选目标。     

桩式离岸堤保滩促淤工程消浪效果试验研究

在上海奉贤南北港保滩促淤工程中，采用了一种新型结构型式－桩式离岸堤，并通过物理模式试验进行了桩式离岸堤消浪效果研究。针对离岸堤通常建于近岸水区破波带的特点，重点研究水深，堤高以及堤身结构对波浪衰减的影响，同时对桩式离岸堤堤后水域的波浪底流速 分析探讨。研究结果表明，桩式离岸堤不仅具有良好的消浪效果。而且可在较大范围内改变波态，即由引起水体剧烈紊动的破波转变为浅水推进波，从而有效地改善海滩上的动力条件，促进海滩免受侵蚀，是一种具有广泛应用前景和新型保滩促淤结构。     

Influence of large-diameter pipe pile driving on surrounding marine soils and adjacent submarine pipelines

Abstract

With the large-scale development and utilization of ocean resources and space, it is inevitable to encounter existing submarine facilities in pile driving areas, which necessitates a safety assessment. In this article, by referring to a wharf renovation project as a reference, the surrounding soil response and buried pipe deformation during pile driving in a near-shore submarine environment are investigated by three-dimensional (3D) numerical models that consider the pore water effect. Numerical studies are carried out in two different series: one is a case of a single pile focusing on the effect of the minimum plane distance of the pile–pipe, and the other is a case of double piles focusing on the effect of the pile spacing.     

Stress and deformation of offshore piles under structural and wave loading

Various offshore structures, especially large structures such as Tension Leg Platforms (TLP), are usually supported by concrete piles as the foundation elements. The stress distribution within such a large structure is a dominant factor in the design procedure of an offshore pile. To provide a more accurate and effective design for offshore foundation systems under axial and lateral wave loads, a finite element model is employed herein to determine the stresses and displacements in a concrete pile under similar loading conditions. A parametric study is also performed to examine the effects of the stress distribution due to the changing loading conditions.     

Non-Simultaneous Failure of Ice in Front of Multi-Leg Structures

Because the multi-leg jacket structure is the major type of offshore structures in the Bohai Sea, the study of non-si-multaneous failure of i鏴 on multi-leg structures is important. However, the non-simultaneous failure has not been consid-ered in engineering design until now, obviously resulting in costly design and notable waste. To resolve this problem, this paper, by means of analysis of experimental data, calculates the coefficient of the non-simultaneous failure for the double-pile structure, the square four-leg structure, the single-line multi-pile structure, and the conical structure, respectively, and provides some reference criteria for engineering design.     

Reduction of sand demand for shore protection

Beach nourishment is an environmentally preferred method of shore protection, but the annual sand requirement may lead to substantial maintenance costs. The shoreline processes, involving the surf zone, beach and dune, are reviewed with the aim of reducing the annual sand requirement of eroding shorelines. It is shown that surf zones with equilibrium profiles, on which the wave energy conversion is evenly distributed across the surf zone, from experience for given conditions indicate least loss of sand. On steep, eroding shorelines it may be difficult to establish an equilibrium profile. For such cases, the use of perched surf zones is recommended, which are supported at the seaward limit by an underwater sill. For reduction of littoral transport, the use of pervious pile groynes is recommended. These are arguably more efficient than impervious groynes. The sand loss from a usually dry beach by raised water levels is shown to be a function of the beach slope and is least when the storm waves at raised water levels do not cut an erosion escarpment. The loss of sand from a dune by infrequent severe storm tides can be prevented with the aid of a built-in membrane. These sand losses are usually large and constitute an uneconomic use of this sand resource. The proposed concepts and measures are linked to existing knowledge, augmented by data from the large wave flume (LWF) in Germany and field data from the North and Baltic Sea coasts.     

Effects of Irregular Wave Groups on Pile Forces

The wave forces on 1, 2 and 4 vertical circular piles under the action of several wave trains of the same wave parameters, such as Hs,Tp and Mo, but different wave group factor GF are measured in the laboratory. After comparing these forces, it may be concluded that the mean and significant wave forces are almost of no difference for the wave trains with different GF. When GF is larger, the one-tenth of the wave froce extreme is slightly increased and the maximum wave force is much larger than the ones with smaller GF, to which attention must be paid in engineering practice.     

深层搅拌法在超软弱港口地基上的工程应用

某港口堆场地基上部5．0m系吹填而成，地表下18m范围均属软土，经真空预压初级加固后地基承载力仅在80—90kPa，局部区域上部淤泥土层土性指标较差，含水量大于50％，地基承载力不足60kPa。为了使地基达到230kPa的承载要求，设计采用深层搅拌法加固超软弱地基。通过现场成桩工艺试验和检测表明，桩身水泥土强度在90d龄期时大于1．80MPa，单桩承载力标准值大于150kN，以φ600桩径、桩长13．5m、置换率为0．308和φ500桩径、桩长13．5m、置换率为0．267两种方案布置的复合地基承载力标准值均超过了230kPa的设计要求。试验结果表明，深层搅拌法在港口超软弱地基土应用只要施工工艺适当，完全可以使地基承载力提高2—3．5倍以土，从而节省大量的工程投资。     

思林水电站通航建筑物高边坡稳定分析和评价

应用ANSYS结构分析软件,模拟了思林水电站通航建筑物高边坡的地形、地质条件以及开挖的过程,建立边坡开挖的有限元计算分析模型,分析边坡在自然状态、分级开挖以及锚杆支护加固等工况下的应力、变形及其整体稳定性.定义单元的局部安全系数,得到了边坡开挖加固后稳定安全系数的分布.根据计算成果,指出现设计加固措施可以保证边坡稳定,无需增加其他工程措施.