Investigations into the Uplift of Skirted Foundations on Clay at Varying Rates
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 2
Abstract
This paper presents finite-element simulations to reinterpret a series of full-model and particle image velocimetry (PIV) (half model) centrifuge tests to study the uplift of skirted foundations. The focus is on the influence of uplift rate on the uplift capacity and the mechanism of breakaway (i.e., the phenomenon of sudden loss of uplift resistance). A backbone curve, quantifying the uplift rate-capacity relationship, is established for uplift based on the numerical and experimental results. The dimensionless velocities and 130 are found to be the boundaries for drained, partially drained, and undrained conditions. The breakaway is found related to ambient water infiltration. In the numerical modeling, the remaining length of the skirt inside soil is used as an indicator for breakaway, i.e., breakaway happens when this length is smaller than a critical value. This hypothesis is demonstrated to be effective by comparing the numerical modeling with the experimental results.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This research was undertaken with support from the Australia Research Council Discovery Projects DP190103315 and DP180103314 and the second author’s ARC Future Fellowship FT200100457. Dr. Xiaojun Li (former Ph.D. student at UWA) is acknowledged for his support and discussion of the centrifuge tests he carried out during his study.
References
Acosta-Martinez, H. E., S. M. Gourvenec, and M. F. Randolph. 2008. “An experimental investigation of a shallow skirted foundation under compression and tension.” Soils Found. 48 (2): 247–254. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.48.247.
Acosta-Martinez, H. E., S. M. Gourvenec, and M. F. Randolph. 2010. “Effect of gapping on the transient and sustained uplift capacity of a shallow skirted foundation in clay.” Soils Found. 50 (5): 725–735. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.50.725.
Acosta-Martinez, H. E., S. M. Gourvenec, and M. F. Randolph. 2012. “Centrifuge study of capacity of a skirted foundation under eccentric transient and sustained uplift.” Géotechnique 62 (4): 317–328.
Bye, A., C. Erbrich, B. Rognlien, and T. I. Tjelta. 1995. “Geotechnical design of bucket foundations.” In Proc., Offshore Technology Conf., Richardson, TX: OnePetro.
Chatterjee, S., D. S. Mana, S. Gourvenec, and M. F. Randolph. 2014. “Large-deformation numerical modeling of short-term compression and uplift capacity of offshore shallow foundations.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 140 (3): 04013021. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001043.
Chen, R., C. Gaudin, and M. J. Cassidy. 2012. “Investigation of the vertical uplift capacity of deep water mudmats in clay.” Can. Geotech. J. 49 (7): 853–865. https://doi.org/10.1139/t2012-037.
Chow, S. H., C. D. O’Loughlin, Z. Zhou, D. J. White, and M. F. Randolph. 2020. “Penetrometer testing in a calcareous silt to explore changes in soil strength.” Géotechnique 70 (12): 1160–1173. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.19.P.069.
Chung, S. F., M. F. Randolph, and J. A. Schneider. 2006. “Effect of penetration rate on penetrometer resistance in clay.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 132 (9): 1188–1196. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2006)132:9(1188).
Dendani, H., and J. L. Colliat. 2002. “Girassol: Design analysis and installation of the suction anchors.” In Proc., Offshore Technology Conf. Richardson, TX: OnePetro.
Einav, I., and M. F. Randolph. 2005. “Combining upper bound and strain path methods for evaluating penetration resistance.” Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng. 63 (14): 1991–2016. https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.1350.
Finnie, I. M., and M. Randolph. 1994. Punch-through and liquefaction induced failure of shallow foundations on calcareous sediments, 217–230. New York: Elsevier.
Gaudin, C., H. Mohr, M. J. Cassidy, B. Bienen, and O. A. Purwana. 2011. “Centrifuge experiments of a hybrid foundation under combined loading.” In Proc., 21st Int. Offshore and Polar Engineering Conf. Richardson, TX: OnePetro.
Gourvenec, S., H. A. Martinez, and M. Randolph. 2007. “Centrifuge model testing of skirted foundations for offshore oil and gas facilities.” In Proc., Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics: Confronting New Challenges and Sharing Knowledge. Richardson, TX: OnePetro.
House, A. R., J. R. Oliveira, and M. F. Randolph. 2001. “Evaluating the coefficient of consolidation using penetration tests.” Int. J. Phys. Modell. Geotech. 1 (3): 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1680/ijpmg.2001.010302.
Jaky, J. 1944. “The coefficient of earth pressure at rest.” J. Soc. Hung. Arch. Eng. 78 (22): 355–358.
Lehane, B. M., C. D. O’Loughlin, C. Gaudin, and M. F. Randolph. 2009. “Rate effects on penetrometer resistance in kaolin.” Géotechnique 59 (1): 41–52. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2007.00072.
Li, X. 2015. “The uplift of offshore shallow foundations.” Doctoral dissertation, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, Univ. of Western Australia.
Li, X., C. Gaudin, Y. Tian, and M. Cassidy. 2015a. “Effects of preloading and consolidation on the uplift capacity of skirted foundations.” Géotechnique 65 (12): 1010–1022. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.15.P.026.
Li, X., Y. Tian, C. Gaudin, and M. Cassidy. 2015b. “Comparative study of the compression and uplift of shallow foundations.” Comput. Geotech. 69 (12): 38–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2015.04.018.
Mana D. S., S. Gourvenec, and M. F. Randolph. 2010. “A numerical study of the vertical bearing capacity of skirted foundations.” In Proc. 2nd Int. Symp. Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics (ISFOG), Perth, 433–438. Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis.
Mana, D. S., S. Gourvenec, and M. F. Randolph. 2013. “Experimental investigation of reverse end bearing of offshore shallow foundations.” Can. Geotech. J. 50 (10): 1022–1033. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2012-0428.
Martin, C. M. 2001. “Vertical bearing capacity of skirted circular foundations on Tresca soil.” In Proc., Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 743–746. Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis.
Miller, D. M., and P. Brevig. 1996. “The Heidrun field-marine operations.” In Proc., Offshore Technology Conf. Richardson, TX: OnePetro.
Peng, M., Y. Tian, C. Gaudin, L. Zhang, and D. Sheng. 2022. “Application of a coupled hydro-mechanical interface model in simulating uplifting problems.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech. 46 (17): 3256–3280. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.3450.
Randolph, M., and S. Gourvenec. 2017. Offshore geotechnical engineering. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Randolph, M., and S. Hope. 2004. Effect of cone velocity on cone resistance and excess pore pressures, 147–152. Osaka, Japan: Yodogawa Kogisha.
Roscoe, K., and J. B. Burland. 1968. On the generalized stress-strain behaviour of wet clay. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Schofield, A., and P. Wroth. 1968. Critical state soil mechanics. London: McGraw-Hill.
Stewart, D. P. 1992. Lateral loading of piled bridge abutments due to embankment construction. Perth, WA, Australia: Univ. of Western Australia.
Stewart, D. P., R. S. Boyle, and M. F. Randolph. 1998. “Experience with a new drum centrifuge.” In Vol. 98 of Centrifuge, 35–40. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Tian, Y., J. Ren, T. Zhou, M. Peng, and M. J. Cassidy. 2022. “Coupled hydro-mechanical interfaces to enable uplift modelling in offshore engineering.” Ocean Eng. 245 (Feb): 110570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2022.110570.
Watson, P. G., and C. Humpheson. 2007. “Foundation design and installation of the Yolla A platform.” In Proc., Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics: Confronting New Challenges and Sharing Knowledge. Richardson, TX: OnePetro.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 23, 2022
Accepted: Oct 4, 2023
Published online: Dec 6, 2023
Published in print: Feb 1, 2024
Discussion open until: May 6, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Centrifuge models
- Clays
- Drainage
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Finite element method
- Foundations
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Irrigation engineering
- Materials engineering
- Methodology (by type)
- Models (by type)
- Numerical methods
- Numerical models
- Particles
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soils (by type)
- Uplifting behavior
- Water and water resources
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.