Excess pore pressures induced by installation of suction caissons in NC clays

Calculation Method for Uplift Capacity of Suction Caisson in Sand Considering Different Drainage Conditions

“…A thin layer of soft "water elements" was adopted to simulate the trapped water between the caisson lid and internal soil plug [12,13,30]. As normal coupled pore fluid elements, the water elements were defined as isotropic liner elastic property with high permeability and elasticity.…”

Modelling of suction bucket foundation in clay: From finite element analyses to macro-elements

“…Kelly et al (2006), Villalobos et al (2010), Guo et al (2012); (3) centrifuge tests, e.g. Fuglsang and Steensen-Bach (1991); Renzi et al (1991) ; Allersma et al (1999); Cao (2003); Cao et al (2004); Zhang et al (2003); Raines and Garnier (2008); Kim et al (2005); Clukey et al (1995); Watson and Randolph (1997); Cassidy et al (2006); Lu et al (2007); Zhang et al (2007); Kim et al (2014). Note that this study focuses primarily on suction bucket foundations in clay.…”

Numerical modelling of seepage beneath skirted foundations subjected to vertical uplift

“…Previous studies have also considered the presence of a layer of trapped water between the foundation top plate and the soil plug in the finite element model, but only to quantify the undrained pullout capacity of the skirted foundations rather than to model seepage. Zdravkovic et al (2001) used a string of interface elements with very low shear stiffness and very high normal stiffness while Cao et al (2002) used very soft poroelastic elements to represent the water. An approach similar to the latter has been adopted here, with soft (two-phase) poroelastic elements used to model the accumulating water; a parametric study was performed initially to validate the performance of the elements and to choose an appropriate stiffness.…”

“…Some numerical simulations (Zdravkovic et al, 2001;Cao et al, 2002;Deng and Carter, 2002;Al-Khafaji et al, 2003;Clukey et al, 2004) have also considered the uplift load behaviour of skirted foundations and suction caissons. The simulations were mainly used to quantify the pullout capacity of the foundation and negative pore pressure development and dissipation underneath the foundation top plate.…”

“…without updating of mesh coordinates) finite element analysis. The analyses were performed for an isotropic elastic half space, following Randolph (2009, 2010), but with a layer of soft poroelastic 'water' elements introduced immediately below the foundation top plate similar to the approach adopted by Cao et al (2002). The effect of a gap down the external skirt-soil interface was also studied.…”