Abstract
Suction piles have increasingly been considered as foundations for offshore facilities. In this study, the pullout behaviors of suction piles embedded in saturated sand subjected to combined vertical and horizontal loading at various inclination angles and pad-eye positions are investigated carrying out centrifugal tests and finite element (FE) analyses. The ultimate pullout capacities obtained from the model tests and FE analyses both increased as the inclination angle was close to 0° and the pad-eye position approached 75% of the pile length from the lid. This is associated with the increase of the passive earth pressure and friction between the soil and suction pile while the pile is pulled out. The failure envelopes were suggested depending on pad-eye positions to improve the design approach for offshore foundations. The optimal pad-eye positions for catenary and taut-leg mooring systems were then investigated by additional FE analyses to demonstrate the practical implications. For both mooring systems, the largest ultimate pullout capacity was obtained when the pad-eye was located at 75% of the suction pile length below the lid. The ultimate pullout capacity of the catenary mooring system was determined to be 1.94 times that of the taut-leg mooring system under the same conditions.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ahmed SS, Hawlader BC (2014) Finite element modeling of inclined load capacity of suction caisson in sand with Abaqus/Explicit. Proc the Twenty-fourth Int Ocean Polar Eng, Busan, Korea, 463–469
Ahmed SS, Hawlader BC (2015) Numerical analysis of inclined uplift capacity of suction caisson in sand. International Journal of Offshore and Polar Engineering 25(2):145–155, DOI: https://doi.org/10.17736/ijope.2015.cg11
Ahn J, Lee H, Kim YT (2014) Finite element analysis of the holding capacity of shallow suction caisson anchors. Marine Georesources & Geotechnology 33(1):33–44, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1064119X.2013.778377
Andersen KH, Jostad HP (1999) Foundation design of skirted foundations and anchors in clay. In Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, USA, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4043/10824-MS
Aubeny CP, Han SW, Murf JD (2003) Inclined load capacity of suction caissons. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics 27(14):1235–1254, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.319
Bang S, Jones KD, Kim KO, Kim YS, Cho Y (2011) Inclined loading capacity of suction piles in sand. Ocean Engineering 38(7):915–924, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2010.10.019
Bransby M, Randolph M (1998) Combined loading of skirted foundations. Géotechnique 48(5):637–655, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1998.48.5.637
Bransby MF, Randolph M (1999) The effect of embedment depth on the undrained response of skirted foundations to combined loading. Soils and Foundations 39(4):19–33, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.39.4_19
Byrne BW, Houlsby GT (2004) Experimental investigation of the cyclic response of suction caisson in sand. International Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, USA, OTC 12194, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4043/12194-MS
Cho Y, Bang S (2002) Inclined loading capacity of suction piles. In The Twelfth International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference, Kitakyushu, Japan, 827–832
Deng W, Carter JP (2000) Inclined uplift capacity of suction caissons in sand. International Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, USA, OTC-12196, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4043/12196-MS
Duncan JM, Chang CY (1970) Nonlinear analysis of stress and strain in soils. Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division ASCE 96(5):1629–1653, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/JSFEAQ.0001458
Faizi K, Faramarzi A, Dirar S, Chapman D (2020) Development of an analytical model for predicting the lateral bearing capacity of caisson foundations in cohesionless soils. Ocean Engineering 218: 1–13, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2020.108112
Gao Y, Qiu Y, Li B, Li D, Sha C, Zheng X (2013) Experimental studies on the anti-uplift behavior of the suction caissons in sand. Applied Ocean Research 43:37–45, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2013.08.001
Geourvenec S, Randolph M (2003) Effect of strength non-homogeneity on the shape of failure envelopes for combined loading of strip and circular foundations on clay. Géotechnique 53(6):575–586, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2003.53.6.575
Ibsen LB, Larsen KA, Barari A (2014) Calibration of failure criteria for bucket foundations on drained sand under general loading. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 140(7):1–16, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000995
Jang YS, Kim YS (2013) Centrifugal model behavior of laterally loaded suction pile in sand. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering 17(5):980–988, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-013-0011-z
Keawsawasvong S, Yoonirundorn K, Senjuntichai T (2021) Pullout capacity factor for cylindrical suction caissons in anisotropic clays based on anisotropic undrained shear failure criterion. Transporation Infrastructure Geotechnology 8:629–644, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40515-021-00154-x
Kelly RB, Houlsby GT, Byrne BW (2006) A comparison of field and laboratory tests of caisson foundations in sand and clay. Géotechnique 56(9):617–626, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2006.56.9.617
Kim S, Choo YW, Kim DS (2016) Pullout capacity of horizontally loaded suction anchor installed in silty sand. Marine Georesources & Geotecnology 34(1):87–95, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1064119X.2014.961622
Kim S, Choo YW, Kim JH, Kim DS, Kwon O (2015) Pullout resistance of group suction anchors in parallel array installed in silty sand subjected to horizontal loading — Centrifuge and numerical modeling. Ocean Engineering 107:85–96, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2015.07.037
Kim YS (2014) A study of pullout behavior of a suction pile in sandy soils by centrifugal model test. PhD Thesis. Dongguk University, Seoul, South Korea (in Korean)
KNOC (2023) Floating offshore wind farm projects. Korea National Oil Corporation, Retrieved March 3, 2023, https://www.knoc.co.kr/ENG/sub03/sub03_9_2.jsp
Koh KX, Hossain MS, Kim Y (2017) Installation and monotonic pullout of a suction caisson anchor in calcareous silt. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 143(2):1–13, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001604
Lee S, Tran NX, Kim SR (2017) Experimental investigation of the vertical pullout cyclic response of bucket foundations in sand, Applied Ocean Research 68:325–335, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2017.06.006
Li Z, Kotronis P, Escoffier S (2014) Numerical study of the 3D failure envelope of a single pile in sand. Computers and Geotechnics 62: 11–26, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2014.06.004
Liu M, Yang M, Wang H (2014) Bearing behavior of wide-shallow bucket foundation for offshore wind turbines in drained silty sand. Ocean Engineering 82:169–179, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2014.02.034
Petel SK, Singh B (2019) A parametric study on the vertical pullout capacity of suction caisson foundation in cohesive soil. Innovative Infrastructure Solutions 4(1):1–11, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-018-0188-6
Randolph M, Houlsby GT (1984) The limiting pressure on a circular pile loaded laterally in cohesive soil. Géotechnique 34(4):613–623, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1984.34.4.613
Randolph M, House AR (2002) Analysis of suction caisson capacity in clay. International Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, USA, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4043/14236-MS
Randolph M, O’Neill M, Stewart D (1998) Performance of suction anchors in fine-grained calcareous soils. International Offshore Technology Conference, 521–529, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4043/8831-MS
Ssenyondo V, Hong S, Bong T, Kim SR (2021) Effect of embedment depth on the pullout capacity of bucket foundations in sand. Ocean Engineering 237:1–13, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2021.109643
Supachawarote C, Randolph M, Gourvenec S (2004) Inclined pullout capacity of suction caissons. The 14th International Offshore Polar Engineering Conference, Toulon, France, ISOPE-I-04-238
Tjelta TI (2001) Suction piles: Their position and application today. The 11thInternational Offshore Polar Engineering Conference, Stavanger, Norway 2:1–6
Villalobos J (2006) Model testing of foundations for offshore wind turbines. PhD Thesis, University of Oxford, England (in English)
Zhan Y, Liu F (2010) Numerical analysis of bearing capacity of suction bucket foundation for offshore wind turbines. Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 15(10):76–81
Zhao L, Bransby MF, Gaudin C (2020) Centrifuge observations on multidirectional loading of a suction caisson in dense sand. Acta Geotechnica 15:1439–1451, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-020-00970-4
Zhao L, Gaudin C, O’Loughlin CD, Hambleton JP, Cassidy MJ, Herduin M (2019) Drained capacity of a suction caisson in sand under inclined loading. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 145(2):1–12, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001996
Zou X, Hu Y, Hossain MS, Zhou M (2018) Capacity of skirted foundations in sand-over-clay under combined V-H-M loading. Ocean Engineering 159:201–218, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2018.04.007
Acknowledgments
Not Applicable
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
12205_2024_588_MOESM1_ESM.pdf
Pullout Behavior of Suction Piles in Saturated Sand Subjected to Combined Vertical and Horizontal Loading – Centrifuge and Finite Element Analysis
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kim, YS., Jo, Y. & Jang, YS. Pullout Behavior of Suction Piles in Saturated Sand Subjected to Combined Vertical and Horizontal Loading – Centrifuge and Finite Element Analysis. KSCE J Civ Eng 28, 1183–1193 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-024-0588-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-024-0588-4