Detailed parametric monopile-spudcan interaction assessment in clay and sand dominated soil stratigraphies

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4. Detailed parametric monopile-spudcan interaction assessment in clay and sand dominated soil stratigraphies

This article presents a detailed parametric assessment of monopile-spudcan interactions for two WTG locations embedded in predominantly clay and sand soil profiles. The analysis follows a two-stage coupled approach. The first stage makes use of Large Deformation Finite Element Analysis (LDFEA) to model the spudcan penetration and extraction, assessing the extent and magnitude of the disturbance in the surrounding soil volume as well as the residual seabed footprint following extraction. In the second stage, a parametric monopile-spudcan interaction analysis is conducted using 3D finite element analysis (FEA) simulations. The effects of the spudcan installation and extraction on the surrounding soil are represented by modelling the spudcan crater and modifying the soil properties of the disturbed soil volume to reflect the expected soil remoulding. The 3D FEA includes representative cyclic soil degradation in storm conditions to allow the verification of the monopile lateral capacity under extreme storm loads. The results with and without spudcan disturbance are then compared to assess the relative loss in capacity and stiffness. A parametric analysis with multiple monopile-spudcan offsets and spudcan penetration depths is performed to identify a safe distance between the monopile and spudcan footprint for each geotechnical soil profile, based on an acceptable reduction in ultimate capacity with respect to the base case.

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

14 - Spudcans: penetration, extraction, interactions