1. Assessing the penetration resistance acting on a dynamically installed anchor in normally consolidated and overconsolidated clay
- Author
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O'Beirne, C., O'Loughlin, C.D., and Gaudin, C.
- Subjects
Shear strength of soils -- Measurement ,Adhesion -- Measurement ,Anchors -- Observations ,Earth sciences - Abstract
Predicting the final embedment depth of a dynamically installed anchor is a key prerequisite for reliable calculation of anchor capacity. This paper investigates the embedment characteristics of dynamically installed anchors in normally consolidated and overconsolidated clay through a series of centrifuge tests involving a model anchor instrumented with a microelectric mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer, enabling the full motion response of the anchor to be established. The data are used to assess the performance of an anchor embedment model based on strain-rate- dependent shearing resistance and fluid mechanics drag resistance. Predictions of a database of over 100 anchor installations--formed from this study and the literature--result in calculated anchor embedment depths that are within [+ or - ]15% of the measurements. An interesting aspect, consistent across the entire database, relates to the strain rate dependence on frictional resistance relative to bearing resistance. The predictions reveal that strain rate dependency may indeed be higher for frictional resistance, although only if a soil strength lower than the fully remoulded strength is considered as the reference strength, which suggests that water may be entrained along a boundary layer at the anchor-soil interface during installation. Key words: dynamically installed anchor, microelectric mechanical system (MEMS), soft soil, centrifuge modelling. Predire la profondeur d'enrobage finale d'un ancrage installe dynamiquement est une condition prealable essentielle pour un calcul fiable des capacites d'ancrage. Cet article etudie les caracteristiques d'enrobage des ancrages installes dynamiquement dans des argiles consolidees normalement et sur consolides par une serie d'essais centrifuge mettant en cause un ancrage modele instrumente avec un accelerometre mecanique du systeme microelectrique (MSME), activant la reponse de mouvement complet de l'ancrage a etablir. Les donnees sont utilisees pour evaluer la performance d'un modele d'enrobage d'ancrage base sur la resistance au cisaillement dependante de la deformation et du taux et la resistance a la trainee mecanique des fluides. Les predictions d'une base de donnees de plus de 100 installations d'ancrages, formes a partir de cette etude et de la litterature, aboutissent dans des profondeurs d'enrobage d'ancrage calcule qui se retrouvent a l'interieur de ±15 % des mesures. Un aspect interessant, coherent dans l'ensemble de la base de donnees entiere se rapporte a la dependance de taux de deformation sur la resistance de frottement par rapport a la resistance de roulement. Les predictions revelent que la dependance du taux de deformation peut en effet etre plus elevee pour la resistance de frottement, bien que seulement si une resistance du sol inferieure a la resistance entierement remaniee est consideree comme etant la resistance de reference, ce qui suggere que l'eau peut etre entrainee le long d'une couche limite a l'interface ancrage-sol lors de l'installation. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: ancrage installe dynamiquement, mecanique du systeme microelectrique (MSME), sol mou, modelisation a centrifuge., Introduction The shift of oil and gas operations towards more remote locations, often in deeper water, tends to increase the costs associated with installing the anchors and laying the moorings. [...]
- Published
- 2017
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