Numerical Investigation of the Capacity of Anchor Chain Links in Clay

W Liu; Y Tian; MJ Cassidy; C O'Loughlin; P Watson

Journal article

Numerical Investigation of the Capacity of Anchor Chain Links in Clay

W Liu, Y Tian, MJ Cassidy, C O'Loughlin, P Watson

Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering | ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS | Published : 2024

DOI: 10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-11676

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Abstract

Offshore floating systems are held in position with chains that connect the floater to anchors embedded in the seabed. An essential component for calculating the overall mooring capacity is an accurate assessment of the holding resistance from the anchor chains. Existing studies generally simplify the (complex) chain geometry to that of a cylindrical bar, which does not account for the intricate geometry of the connected chain links. This paper reports on three-dimensional finite-element modeling that defined the capacity of a link of anchor chain in clay soil with consideration of the geometry of the chain links, including the influence from adjacent links. Both stud link and studless links..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Yinghui Tian Author

Mark Cassidy Author

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Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council (ARC)

Awarded by Shell

Funding Acknowledgements

This research was undertaken with support from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Projects (DP180103314 and DP190103315) and the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Offshore Floating Facilities, which is funded by the Australian Research Council, Woodside Energy, Shell, Bureau Veritas, and Lloyds Register (Grant No. IH140100012). The corresponding author's ARC Future Fellowship (FT200100457) is acknowledged. Phil Watson leads the Shell Chair in Offshore Engineering research team at The University of Western Australia, which is sponsored by Shell Australia. Professor Fraser Bransby at The University of Western Australia is appreciated for his discussions, suggestions, and review of this study.