Earth Pressure Distribution and Sand Deformation Around Modified Suction Caissons(MSCs) Under Monotonic Lateral Loading

The modified suction caisson(MSC) is a novel type of foundation for ocean engineering, consisting of a short external closed-top cylinder-shaped structure surrounding the upper part of the regular suction caisson(RSC). The MSC can provide larger lateral bearing capacity and limit the deflection compared with the RSC. Therefore, the MSC can be much more appropriate to use as an offshore wind turbine foundation. Model tests on the MSC in saturated sand subjected to monotonic lateral loading were carried out to investigate the effects of external structure sizes on the sand surface deformation and the earth pressure distribution along the embedded depth. Test results show that the deformation range of the sand surface increases with the increasing width and length of the external structure. The magnitude of sand upheaval around the MSC is smaller than that of the RSC and the sand upheaval value around the MSC in the loading direction decreases with the increasing external structure dimensions. The net earth pressure in the loading direction acting on the internal compartment of the MSC is smaller than that of the RSC at the same embedded depth. The maximum net earth pressure acting on the external structure outer wall in the loading direction is larger than that of the internal compartment, indicating that a considerable amount of the lateral load and moment is resisted by the external skirt structure.

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.

H-M Bearing Capacity of A Modified Suction Caisson Determined by Using Load-/Displacement-Controlled Methods

This paper presents a series of monotonically combined lateral loading tests to investigate the bearing capacity of the MSCs （modified suction caissons） in the saturated marine fine sand. The lateral loads were applied under load- and displacement-controlled methods at the loading eccentricity ratios of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5. Results show that, in the displacement-controlled test, the deflection-softening behavior of load-deflection curves for MSCs was observed, and the softening degree of the load-deflection response increased with the increasing external skirt length or the decreasing loading eccentricity. It was also found that the rotation center of the MSC at failure determined by the load-controlled method is slightly lower than that by the displacement-controlled method. The calculated MSC capacity based on the rotation center position in serviceability limit state is relatively conservative, compared with the calculated capacity based on the rotation center position in the ultimate limit state. In the limit state, the passive earth pressures opposite the loading direction under load- and displacement-controlled methods decrease by 46% and 74% corresponding to peak values, respectively; however, the passive earth pressures in the loading direction at failure only decrease by approximately 3% and 7%, compared with their peak values.

Lateral Bearing Capacity of Modified Suction Caissons Determined by Using the Limit Equilibrium Method

The modified suction caisson(MSC) adds a short-skirted structure around the regular suction caissons to increase the lateral bearing capacity and limit the deflection. The MSC is suitable for acting as the offshore wind turbine foundation subjected to larger lateral loads compared with the imposed vertical loads. Determination of the lateral bearing capacity is a key issue for the MSC design. The formula estimating the lateral bearing capacity of the MSC was proposed in terms of the limit equilibrium method and was verified by the test results. Parametric studies on the lateral bearing capacity were also carried out. It was found that the lateral bearing capacity of the MSC increases with the increasing length and radius of the external skirt, and the lateral bearing capacity increases linearly with the increasing coefficient of subgrade reaction. The maximum lateral bearing capacity of the MSC is attained when the ratio of the radii of the internal compartment to the external skirt equals 0.82 and the ratio of the lengths of the external skirt to the internal compartment equals 0.48, provided that the steel usage of the MSC is kept constant.

Experimental Studies on Modified Suction Caissons in Fine Sand Subject to Uplift Loading

A modified suction caisson(MSC), which was reported by the authors of this paper previously, comprises an external short-skirted structure that is added to a regular suction caisson(RSC). It has been proved that MSCs can improve the lateral bearing capacity and limit the deflection of the caisson compared with RSCs. A series of model tests were conducted to investigate responses of MSCs subject to uplift loading in saturated sand. The effects of external skirt dimensions on the uplift bearing capacity of MSCs were considered. In addition, the influences of the sealed top lid of the skirted structure on the uplift bearing capacity and the resulting passive suction of MSCs were also studied. It was found that the uplift bearing capacities of MSCs are 1.4-1.7 times that of RSCs. Moreover, test results in serviceable conditions show that the sealed external skirted structure of perspex-made suction caissons significantly contributed to the uplift bearing capacity as a result of passive suction.

Accumulated Rotation of A Modified Suction Caisson and Soil Deformation Induced by Cyclic Loading

Modified suction caissons(MSCs)acting as offshore wind turbine foundations will generate the accumulated rotation under cyclic loading resulted from waves.The accumulated rotation and the range of soil deformation around the MSC under long-term cyclic wave loading were studied using 3-D numerical simulations.The Morison equation was adopted to calculate the wave loadings.It was found that the MSC accumulated rotation increases linearly with the increase of the logarithm of cyclic number.The normalized expression was proposed to reflect the relationship between the accumulated rotation and cyclic number.The soil deformation range around the MSC increases when increasing the cyclic number and loading amplitude.It can also be concluded that the accumulated rotation increases rapidly with this change of excess pore pressure in the first 4000 cycles.The responses of the MSC to wave and wind loads were also investigated.Results show that the accumulated rotation of the MSC under both wave and wind loadings is larger than that under the wave loading only.

黏性土中裙式吸力基础沉贯与注水拔出试验研究

开展模型试验研究海洋黏性土中裙式吸力基础沉贯和注水上拔特性,并研究了土体强度、基础尺寸和安装方式等影响因素。研究表明:主桶长径比为1.0和2.0的裙式吸力基础最终沉贯深度较相同高度传统吸力基础仅降低2%和6%,证实了裙式吸力基础在黏性土中具有良好沉贯性。主桶和裙结构在吸力沉贯时对土体造成扰动,导致吸力沉贯阻力小于压力贯入时的阻力。基于极限平衡方法,提出了裙式吸力基础在黏性土中的沉贯阻力与所需吸力的计算公式,并验证其准确性。得到传统和裙式吸力基础在注水拔出过程中基础内部水压力、上拔阻力与基础上拔位移之间的关系,发现基础内部水压力随上拔位移先迅速增加至最大值,然后逐渐降低,裙式吸力基础最终上拔位移小于相同基础高度的传统吸力基础。得到了裙式吸力基础注水拔出阻力计算公式。

基于模型试验的上拔过程中裙式吸力基础内部负压及荷载——位移变化

基于1-g模型试验,研究裙式吸力基础在饱和细海砂中的抗拔承载特性,及不同加载速率、裙结构尺寸对基础抗拔承载力和主桶以及裙内负压变化的影响。试验结果表明:裙式吸力基础底部的上拔破坏形式与传统吸力基础顶部密封时基础的底部破坏形式相同,也为局部拉伸破坏。增大裙高和裙宽均可增大裙式吸力基础的极限抗拔承载力,且增大裙宽对裙式吸力基础的极限抗拔承载力增大比较明显。裙式吸力基础上拔承载力,使得主桶被动吸力以及裙内被动吸力同时达到极限值。裙式吸力基础的主桶被动吸力不随裙高的增大而增大,但随着加载速率的增大,裙式吸力基础主桶被动吸力和裙内被动吸力均明显增大。

分层土中裙式吸力基础吸力沉贯特性模型试验研究

针对一种新型海上风电基础形式-裙式吸力基础,开展模型试验,研究其在分层土地基中的沉贯特性。讨论了土层分布形式(砂土、黏性土、上层砂土及下层黏性土(简称上砂下黏)、上层黏性土及下层砂土(简称上黏下砂))、沉贯方式的影响。研究表明:裙式吸力基础在分层土中具有良好的沉贯性能。与传统吸力基础相比,裙式吸力基础在砂土、黏性土、上砂下黏和上黏下砂地基中最终沉贯深度较传统吸力基础分别增加10.0%、2.3%、3.0%和9.6%,沉贯最大吸力值分别增加0.9%、14.4%、66.2%和92.2%。黏性土层位置和厚度对基础沉贯特性影响显著。上黏下砂地层中,基础最大吸力值出现在土层分界面处,最大吸力值随土层分布系数t(上层土厚度与土体总厚度的比值)的增加而逐渐增大,最终沉贯深度随土层分布系数增加而逐渐减小。上砂下黏地层中,裙式吸力基础最大吸力值出现在最大沉贯深度处,吸力最大值随土层分布系数的增加而逐渐减小,最终沉贯深度受土层分布系数影响较小。此外,同时抽吸主桶和裙结构内水体进行沉贯,最终沉贯深度大于只抽主桶情况。在砂土、黏性土、上黏下砂(t=0.4)和上砂下黏(t=0.4)等4种地基中,裙式吸力基础采用同时抽主桶和裙结构的沉贯方式,最终沉贯深度较只抽主桶情况分别增大了13.8%、3.4%、16.4%和4.6%。研究成果为进一步阐明吸力基础在分层土中沉贯机制及指导工程实践,具有借鉴意义。

砂土中裙式吸力基础复合承载特性数值模拟

海上风电基础在服役过程中,长期受到上部结构传递的竖向荷载以及风、波浪等产生的水平荷载及倾覆力矩作用。这些荷载同时作用于基础,导致基础的复合承载特性复杂。针对海上风电裙式吸力基础开展数值模拟,研究裙式吸力基础在复合加载条件下的承载能力:在复合加载条件下,裙式吸力基础的承载能力更大;随着裙结构宽度和高度的增大,裙式吸力基础的复合承载力逐渐增大;绘制了吸力基础在二维复合荷载(竖向荷载-水平荷载、竖向荷载-弯矩荷载、水平荷载-弯矩荷载)作用情况下的破坏包络线图形以及在三维复合荷载(竖向荷载-水平荷载-弯矩荷载)作用情况下的破坏包络面,得到了裙式吸力基础破坏表达式,可指导工程实践。

砂土中裙式吸力基础上拔过程的反向端部承载力与土体变形规律

为了探究砂土中裙式吸力基础上拔过程中的承载特性,通过上拔模型试验,研究了裙式吸力基础在裙封闭状态下的抗拔承载力以及考虑不同上拔速率下裙式吸力基础反向端部承载力和基础周围土体的变形规律,探讨上拔速率和裙结构尺寸分别对裙式吸力基础反向端部承载力和周围土体变形的影响。结果表明:随着上拔速率的增大,裙式吸力基础的主桶反向端部承载力与裙结构反向端部承载力逐渐增大;裙宽是影响裙式吸力基础反向端部承载力的主要因素;裙结构尺寸和拔出速率对基础周围土体变形影响显著。

砂土中裙式吸力基础注水拔出渗流规律数值模拟

裙式吸力基础是一种新型海上风电基础形式。相比于传统吸力基础,裙式吸力基础具有更高的承载力和控制基础变形的能力。当海上风电上部结构达到服务年限或沉贯安装失败时,可通过向吸力基础桶内注水实现基础的拔出回收和重复利用。为此针对裙式吸力基础拔出过程,通过开展数值分析研究其在饱和砂土注水拔出过程中的渗流场分布规律。结果表明:注水拔出过程中,基础发生由内而外的渗流,导致基础内部土体向下移动,有效应力和侧壁摩阻力增大,基础外壁有效应力与侧壁摩阻力降低。注水拔出过程中,裙式吸力基础渗流影响区域与传统吸力基础差别较小。裙式吸力基础与传统吸力基础在水头等势线分布规律、土体孔压及有效应力的变化趋势上基本一致,但量值较传统吸力基础显著提高。拔出过程中,裙式吸力基础的“裙”结构内部产生负压,与主桶内部的压力正相反。

循环拉拔荷载作用下裙式吸力基础及周围土体的位移规律分析

吸力基础安装方便、造价低、承载性能优良,是海洋平台最理想的基础形式之一。通过有限元模拟的方法,对裙式吸力基础在循环拉拔荷载下的基础及周围土体的位移规律进行研究。分析得出,基础在循环拉拔荷载作用下对基础周围土体变形的影响范围约为6~7倍主桶直径,裙式吸力基础的主桶高与裙高是控制基础与周围土体水平位移的主要因素,裙宽是控制基础周围土体竖向位移的主要因素。