Numerical modelling of suction bucket foundations subjected to axial loading
Numerical modelling of suction bucket foundations subjected to axial loading
In multi-caissons foundations, the overturning moments are crucial for the design. The foundation resists to those moments through compression and tension. The tensile capacity of the upwind caisson should be considered in the design. To investigate this tensile behavior, numerical analyses are performed in PLAXIS 2D using a constitutive model which combines a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion with the concept of state-parameter for sands. Initially, the tensile capacity of the suction bucket in fully drained and undrained conditions is investigated. The suction bucket is pulled out by applying small displacements, until its ultimate capacity is reached. Different values of densities are examined to monitor their effect on the ultimate capacity of the foundation. A parametric coupled consolidation analysis is then performed to study the impact of the permeability of the soil and of the pull-out rate. It is observed that the fully drained and undrained conditions constitute, respectively, the lower and upper boundaries of the ultimate tensile capacity of the foundation. The higher densities lead to higher tensile capacities. With faster loading rates and lower permeabilities, the response of the suction bucket approaches the undrained capacity, as suction is developed beneath the bucket.
E. Eleftheriou; David M. G. Taborda
18th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ECSMGE2024)
D - Current and new construction methods
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