A new robotic CPT p-y module for offshore seabed characterisation and offshore pile design

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There is a growing need to develop in-situ ground characterization tools that collect sufficient data earlier in the project cycle to compress the typical timelines of offshore infrastructure projects. A robotic tool extending the standard cone penetrometer test (CPT) with a separate module capable of horizontal translation - referred to as the p-y module - has been recently developed, as part of the collaborative ROBOCONE project. This paper presents a data interpretation framework for ROBOCONE tests undertaken in undrained clay and drained sand, respectively. The framework is built upon a suite of finite element analyses of the ROBOCONE p-y module, with a process to convert the ROBOCONE data for pile design. The framework accounts for end effects, i.e. the influence of the finite length of the ROBOCONE module, when compared to plane strain conditions or a laterally loaded pile shaft. For undrained clay, the interpretation provides the undrained shear strength and elastic shear modulus from ROBOCONE data. For drained sands, the interpretation framework determines p-y curves for direct use in pile design. As an example of the potential of the ROBOCONE, the corrected and converted ROBOCONE p-y curves were used to directly predict the force-displacement response of a laterally loaded pile, which was simulated in a separate finite element analysis. Overall, the interpretation methods in this paper can underpin the adoption of this new site investigation tool to accelerate offshore site characterisation and infrastructure design.

5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics (ISFOG2025)

8 - Monopile design to lateral monotonic loads