Journal article

Using a thin sand layer to ease spudcan extraction in clay

Muhammad Shazzad Hossain, Stefanus Safinus, Mark J Cassidy

CANADIAN GEOTECHNICAL JOURNAL | CANADIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING | Published : 2015

Abstract

Difficulties are encountered, in soft clay and silt sediments, during extraction of the spudcan foundations of “mobile” jack-up rigs. This paper reports results from centrifuge model tests undertaken to provide a simple, effective, and practical means for easing spudcan extraction in soft normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clay. The tests were carried out on model spudcans of two different geometries typically used in the field. The spudcans were extracted from penetrations of 2~3 diameters and after an operation period of ~19 months. The measured pore pressure at the bottom face of the spudcan during extraction process provided insight into the development of suction at the ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by ARC


Awarded by Australian Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

The research presented herein was undertaken with support from the Australian Research Council (ARC) through the Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering (CGSE). The first author is an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow and is supported by the ARC Project DE140100903. The work forms 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 and as a Centre of Excellence by the Lloyd's Register Foundation. This support is gratefully acknowledged, as is the assistance of the beam centrifuge technician, Mr. Manuel Palacios.