Numerical Investigation of Diving Potential and Optimization of Offshore Anchors
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 2
Abstract
This paper reports numerical modeling results investigating the diving potential and optimization of offshore anchors. A simplified two-dimensional plate anchor model and a complex three-dimensional anchor model were investigated in the finite element analyses. Good agreement with established analytical predictions provided validation of the numerical analysis. A major parameter influencing the dive potential for anchors was found to be the position of the padeye relative to the anchor rotation center. Beneficial padeye offset ranges that encourage diving and benefit ultimate holding capacity were identified for two different anchor geometries. These should facilitate optimization of future anchor designs in offshore engineering.
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Acknowledgments
This research was undertaken with support from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF), a U.K. registered charity and sole shareholder of Lloyd’s Register Group Ltd that invests in science, engineering, and technology for public benefit, worldwide. This study comprised part of the activities of the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems (COFS), currently supported as a node of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering (CE110001009), and through the Fugro Chair in Geotechnics. The first author also acknowledges the support of Open Fund from State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, and the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (Grant Number E2015208089).
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©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 23, 2016
Accepted: Aug 7, 2017
Published online: Dec 15, 2017
Published in print: Feb 1, 2018
Discussion open until: May 15, 2018
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