Controlled installation of spudcan foundations on loose sand overlying weak clay

Offshore jack-up rigs are often used for site exploration and oil well drilling. The footings of jack-up rigs are known as spudcan foundations. The risk of rapid uncontrolled penetration of spudcan in seabed (“punch-through”) exposes jack-ups to significant risk during installation in strong over weak layered seabeds. An example for this is a thin loose sand layer overlying a weaker stratum of clay. To prevent spudcans from “punch-through”, an in-situ measurement concept is suggested in this paper to control the installation process of spudcan foundations. First, three-dimensional finite element studies using a Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian method are carried out to simulate the penetration process. The numerical results have been validated with existing analytical solutions and centrifuge model test data. Furthermore, parametric studies are carried out to quantify the influences of the sand thickness and shear strength of the clay on the bearing capacity of spudcans. Based on the numerical studies an idea for the development of an in-situ measurement concept is suggested to control the spudcan penetration process in-situ.     

The undrained bearing capacity of a spudcan foundation under combined loading in soft clay

Mobile jack-up drilling rigs are typically supported by individual, large diameter spudcan foundations. Before deployment, the suitability of a jack-up to a location must be shown in a site-specific assessment under loads associated with a 50-year return period storm, which ultimately need to be resisted by the foundations. The capacity of the spudcans under combined vertical, horizontal and moment loading is therefore integral to the overall site-specific assessment of the jack-up.In soft clays, spudcans can penetrate deeply into the seabed, sometimes up to several footing diameters, with soil flowing around the downward penetrating footing, sealing the cavity. Although this is generally believed to provide some additional bearing capacity to the footing, no detailed study or formal guidance is available to date. This study, therefore, investigates the influence of soil back-flow on the failure mechanisms and quantifies the effect on the capacity of a spudcan under general loading through finite element analyses. A closed-form analytical expression is developed that describes the capacity envelope under combined loading, applicable to embedment depths ranging from shallow to deep.     

Determination of limiting cavity depths for offshore spudcan foundations in a spatially varying seabed

The importance of accurate prediction of limiting cavity depths during offshore spudcan foundations installation has been variously highlighted in the literature. Nonetheless, most of the previous research is deterministic in nature and confined to homogenous soils. Since offshore clayey soils can be highly spatially variable, there is a practical need to take proper account of the spatial variability in the prediction of limiting cavity depths. In a bid to remedy this situation, large deformation finite element calculations combined with three-dimensional random fields were repeatedly conducted in this study within a Monte-Carlo framework. The continuous penetration of a spudcan initiated from surface was explicitly modeled until a full-localized flow-around mechanism was observed. Spatial variability was found to clearly affect the soil back-flow and thereby the limiting cavity depth, the latter of which takes a range of values that can be approximately modeled as a log-normal distribution. Characteristic limiting cavity depths at various probability levels were ascertained. An algebraic expression was proposed to explicitly predict the characteristic limiting cavity depths in random soils from the fractile. Particular attention was paid to the lower and upper 5% characteristic values, which are likely to be useful for reliability-based design.     

基于Gibson 大变形固结方程的软基沉降预测方法

基于Gibson大变形固结方程,结合吹填淤泥高压固结试验成果,对简化该方程的3个假定条件进行了验证,在此基础上提出了分级荷载下双层软基沉降预测的大变形固结简化方法,将其应用于围海造陆工程吹填淤泥与原状淤泥双层软基沉降过程预测,结果表明:1)常规预压荷载(≤200 kPa)下,固结压力0～25 kPa与25～200 kPa范围内,吹填淤泥的孔隙比e与有效应力及渗透系数与(1+e)分别满足线性关系,大变形固结系数近似为常数;2)大变形固结简化方法预测的双层软基沉降曲线相比于经典固结理论,更接近于实测曲线,为软基沉降预测提供了一种简易实用的方法。     

自升式平台桩靴强度分析

合理的桩靴设计是立插桩式海洋自升式平台在海上安全工作的关键因素之一。以某自升式海洋平台桩靴为研究对象,利用规范和SACS软件对桩靴结构设计进行强度校核和屈曲强度分析,并对桩靴的承载力和计算方法进行研究。     

自升式钻井平台桩靴结构强度分析

桩靴是钻井平台的重要支撑构件,其结构强度对整个钻井平台的安全起着至关重要的作用。以某自升式钻井平台桩靴为研究对象,根据ABS(美国船级社)规范要求,建立桩靴结构强度的力学模型,并合理简化,分析了预压载和自存两种工况下的设计载荷。利用有限元软件MSC.Patran/Nastran对两种工况下桩靴的强度进行分析,研究得到桩靴强度工程化分析流程以及结构强度特性,分析结果为自升式钻井平台的桩靴设计提供参考。     

自升式平台桩靴/地基承载力的数值分析

桩靴/地基承载力的准确预报是确保自升式平台进行海上插桩作业安全性的重要前提,常规的规范算法在处理复杂地基条件时存在困难。基于非线性数值分析方法,在对加载点位置、网格尺寸、地基边界等关键技术进行研究的基础上,以某400ft水深自升式平台为例,分别对海底均质土和成层土的承载力进行了研究。同时,对各土层参数的影响进行了详细分析,为探索插桩过程中地基破坏原理和承载力计算提供了一些参考。     

自升式服务平台桩靴结构优化设计

桩靴作为自升式平台的重要结构之一,在整个平台的就位和作业等方面发挥着重要作用。针对350ft自升式多功能服务平台的2种桩靴结构形式,应用MSC Patran和Nastran建立有限元模型,依据美国船级社相关规范对不同工况下2种不同形式桩靴的强度进行评估,并分别对2种桩靴的质量进行统计。对计算结果进行分析比较,并提出一些可行性建议。     

自升式钻井平台桩靴裂纹分析、处理及修复研究

桩靴是自升式平台的重要组成部分,主要作用是支撑整个平台,将平台所受的载荷传递到海床.一旦桩靴失效,将导致桩腿下沉,平台无法保持水平.文章利用有限元方法研究了自升式平台桩靴在出现裂纹后的应力水平,并研究相关的应对措施与修复方法.     

Assessing appropriate stiffness levels for spudcan foundations on dense sand

Before a jack-up can operate at a given location, a site-specific assessment of its ability to withstand a design storm during operation must be performed. During this assessment, the complex state of stress and strain under a spudcan is usually simplified to a value of foundation stiffness that is integrated as a boundary condition into the structural analysis. Soil stiffness is a critical parameter affecting the foundation and structural load distribution and displacements, and the jack-up natural period and dynamic response. The level of spudcan stiffness is an area of intense interest and debate. This paper assesses appropriate stiffness levels for numerical simulation. Utilising results from a detailed “pushover” experiment of a three-legged model jack-up on dense sand, the paper compares the experimental pushover loads and displacements on the hull and spudcans to numerical simulations using different assumptions of spudcan stiffness. These include pinned and encastré footings, linear springs and a force-resultant model based on displacement-hardening plasticity theory. Constant stiffness levels are shown to be inadequate in simulating the experimental pushover test. The non-linear degradation of stiffness associated with the latter force-resultant model is critical.     

饱和软粘土地基沉降速率的计算方法

为了探讨饱和软粘土地基沉降速率的计算方法,根据饱和软粘土应变固结度与应力固结度的近似关系,推导出地基沉降速率的计算公式,提出了饱和软粘土地基沉降速率的计算方法,所得结果与工程实测数值相符。结果表明:软土层超固结比对计算结果有较大影响,计算时应根据地质资料及地区经验合理选择各土层超固结比。     

浅层地基加固中塑料排水板打设方法改进探讨

针对浅层地基加固中塑料排水板的“回带”问题,介绍了目前常用的塑料排水板打设改进的方法;在总结已有方法优劣势的基础上,结合工程实际情况,提出了新的改进方法。该法适用于吹填土地基的浅层加固,实际工程应用中完全解决了塑料排水板的“回带”问题,打设成功率超过80％,操作简单,造价经济,可为类似软基加固工程参考采用。     

Centrifuge modelling of pipe-soil interaction in clay with crust layer

Seabed in regions, such as the Gulf of Guinea and North West Shelf of Australia, may exhibit a crust layer where the undrained shear strength can be an order of magnitude higher than that of the immediately underlying sediment. This can complicate design of steel catenary risers, where fatigue depends on the cyclic vertical stiffness of the pipe-soil interaction. Potential punch-through of the riser into the underlying soft soil may invalidate design assumptions based on the pipe-soil stiffness within the crust layer. The long-term evolution of pipe-soil stiffness within the crust layer, which exhibits similar properties to an over-consolidated soil, is also poorly understood. This paper describes centrifuge model tests undertaken in a clay sample with a crust layer, simulating the punch-through process of a pipe under load control and investigating the pipe-soil stiffness during long-term cyclic loading tests under displacement control. Results confirm that the potential for punching-through the crust layer depends strongly on the relative ratio of pipe diameter to crust layer thickness. The long-term evolution of pipe-soil stiffness showed a steady increase after an initial remoulding stage in contractile soils (normally consolidated and lightly over-consolidated), but a steady reduction in the heavily over-consolidated, more dilatant, crust. The magnitude of pipe-soil stiffness changes (during both remoulding and reconsolidation) is governed by the over-consolidation ratio of the soil and the amplitude of the cyclic displacements. This study provides insights on the relevant cyclic stiffness to consider when assessing SCR fatigue life in over-consolidated soils and soils exhibiting a superficial crust layer.     

自升式平台层状地基条件下插桩过程数值模拟研究

对于采用独立式桩靴结构的自升式平台,桩靴的入泥深度是保障平台安全作业的关键问题之一。采用ABAQUS软件的Explicit求解器,以位移增量步方式计算地基极限承载力;在施加初始地应力场的前提下,引入无限元边界处理方法,考虑了土壤无限大边界条件的影响,并使用ALE自适应网格技术有效地解决了土壤模型的大变形问题;最后,将有限元计算与经验公式计算进行比对分析。结果表明,在一定预压载荷条件下,有限元计算结果能较全面精确地反映插桩结果,弥补经验公式考虑参数单一、无法解决层状土承载力之间不连续问题以及无法动态模拟插桩过程的不足。     

自升式风电安装船桩腿强度分析和优化

近年来,随着国内海上风电行业的蓬勃发展,市场对自升式风电安装船的需求日益迫切。桩腿是影响自升式风电安装船作业安全性的关键环节,桩腿设计也是自升式风电安装船的关键技术难点之一;而海上风电场的选址逐渐向离岸更远、水深更大的方向发展,客观上也对桩腿适应更恶劣海况条件的能力提出了更高要求。本文结合近年来多型自升式风电安装船桩腿设计经验,分析研究了桩腿总强度计算和优化的过程,及其与海况环境、作业条件、可变载荷等参数之间的相关性,为自升式风电安装船的桩腿设计提供了有效方法。     

基于成长模型的吹填土软基沉降预测方法研究*

堆载预压和真空堆载联合预压处理吹填淤泥软基沉降变化规律与3种"S"型成长曲线变化规律相似。影响软基沉降发展规律的因素很多,3种成长曲线沉降预测模型仅反映了沉降发展规律中一种或几种信息特征,将各种单项预测模型进行组合,引入了变权"S"型成长曲线组合模型,结合围海造陆工程实例,对吹填淤泥软基沉降进行预测,结果表明:变权组合沉降预测模型预测未来沉降与实测值十分吻合,预测精度较单项模型高,采用该模型进行吹填淤泥软基沉降预测是可行的。     

Preloading of independent leg units at locations with difficult seabed conditions

This paper, based on analyses of case histories, reviews soil conditions causing sudden uncontrolled leg penetrations, together with site data needed to plan safe installations of jack-up drilling units. Punch-through-like failure in uniform clay profile is analysed. Preloading procedures aimed at minimizing potential damage to the unit are suggested and discussed.     

超大型风机安装平台自升状态下的运动响应频域分析

针对自升自航式海上风机安装作业平台在风浪较大的海上风电场区域作业时风、浪、流载荷较大,影响安全的问题,基于SESAM软件,建立海上风机安装作业平台有限元模型,在频域内计算了波浪载荷和运动响应传递函数,并进行响应谱分析。结果表明,平台运动响应受波浪周期和浪向角的影响较大,当桩腿接近海底时,有可能对导致桩腿触底,在船舶设计以及船舶实际作业时应注意避免这种现象发生。     

耙吸船犁齿软格栅挖掘硬黏土新工艺应用

耙吸式挖泥船在硬黏土底质施工中,存在堵耙、闷耙等问题,生产效率较低。介绍天航局耙吸挖泥船在鲅鱼圈港25万吨级航道施工开挖硬黏土时,成功研制犁齿、软格栅的施工方法,有效解决堵耙、闷耙等问题,综合生产能力提高60%以上。     

远海自升式风电一体化运输与安装探讨

由于远海域自然环境更为恶劣,作业窗口期更短。充分利用窗口期,提高施工效率是风机安装施工的关键。通过调研和分析国内外风机运输和安装技术现状,以1 200 t自升式风电安装船和西门子4 MW机型为研究对象,提出利用自升式平台船垂直运输塔筒、水平叠加运输叶片的运输安装一体化技术,可减少涌浪对传统工艺中运输驳船的限制,提高窗口期的利用效率,提高施工工效,适用于远海风电场的建设。