A CPT-Based Design Framework for Uplifted Open-Ended Piles Installed in Spatially Variable Sandy Soils. I: Soil Resistance Design Line Optimization
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 11
Abstract
Due to the mechanical properties of the seabed exhibiting horizontal and vertical spatial variability, an important challenge in offshore geotechnical design lies in the selection of the relevant soil strength profile for foundation sizing, called hereafter the “design line.” Design values are most often selected depth-wise using existing field data, through knowledge of the volume and distance of the field data from the designed infrastructure and considering the relevant limit state and targeted level of reliability. The cone penetration test (CPT) is well-suited to this purpose given the quasi-continuity and high repeatability of its measurements. This paper proposes a statistical CPT-based method to identify the design line for the design of open-ended piles under drained uplift loading to achieve a target reliability. Application of the proposed method reveals that the statistical procedure used to select the design line is dependent on the proximity of the nearest CPTs to the piles, and the horizontal and vertical scales of fluctuation and the coefficient of variation of the cone tip resistance. This information is used in a companion paper to inform optimization and selection of site investigation strategies for the design of uplifted piles for offshore wind farms.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, and code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the funding support provided by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency under Project ARENA-2015-RND086. The work presented in this paper is part of the research activities undertaken by the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems within the Oceans Graduate School at the University of Western Australia. The second author holds the Fugro Chair whose support is gratefully acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 149 • Issue 11 • November 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 6, 2022
Accepted: Jun 12, 2023
Published online: Aug 29, 2023
Published in print: Nov 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Jan 29, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Coasts, oceans, ports, and waterways engineering
- Design (by type)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Foundation design
- Foundations
- Geomechanics
- Geometry
- Geotechnical engineering
- Load and resistance factor design
- Load factors
- Mathematics
- Ocean engineering
- Offshore structures
- Pile foundations
- Piles
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil strength
- Spatial variability
- Structural design
- Uplifting behavior
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Cited by
- Yongmin Cai, Fraser Bransby, Christophe Gaudin, Michael O’Neill, Marco Uzielli, A CPT-Based Design Framework for Uplifted Open-Ended Piles Installed in Spatially Variable Sandy Soils. II: Implications to Site Investigation and Pile Design for Offshore Wind Farms, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-11392, 149, 11, (2023).