Guidance for Design of Suction Caissons Against Buckling During Installation in Clay Soils

摘要

Suction caissons are a type of foundation which are penetrated into the seabed using net external water pressure, rather than more conventional techniques. The geometry of these foundations is such that, structurally, they fall into the category of shell structures. Due to the type of loading experienced by these foundations, which is predominantly hydrostatic, buckling of the caisson shell during suction installation becomes a consideration. This paper examines the factors influencing the buckling load of the caisson, including the boundary conditions of the shell, geometric imperfections, material plasticity, embedment ratio and the amount of lateral restraint offered by the surrounding soil Results are obtained from three dimensional finite dement analyses.