SEAFLOOR ENGINEERING
Technological Challenge: Continuing research is focused on improving the current state of understanding regarding the basic mechanisms affecting the seafloor stiffness within the Steel Catenary Riser (SCR) touchdown zone, and developing a means for providing quantitative estimates of seafloor stiffness and damping for various soil and site conditions. Other projects will continue to examine and review the mudflow/mudslide areas in the Gulf of Mexico caused by Hurricane Ivan resulting in revised and/or new maps indicating areas of high risk and/or areas where further detailed evaluations are needed. Research aimed at development and application of numerical models for the analysis of installation, behavior and strength of torpedo anchors is also continuing.
New
research will seek better understanding of the factors affecting soil
and pipeline deformation below scouring ice ridges in the Arctic environment.
New Project:
Ongoing Projects:
- Mudslides During Hurricane Ivan and an Assessment of the Potential for Future Mudslides in the Gulf of Mexico
- Numerical Modeling of Torpedo Anchors
- Seafloor Interaction with Steel Catenary Risers
Past Projects:
- Risk Assessment of Submarine Slope Stability – Hydroplaning
- Suction Caisson and VLA Design Tools: Capacity and Installation
- Performance of Suction Caissons Used to Anchor Structures in Very Deep Water
- Seafloor Characterization for Deepwater Production Systems
- Suction Caissons: Finite Element Modeling
- Seafloor Characterization - Central and Eastern Gulf of Mexico
- Seafloor Slope Stability Under Static & Seismic Loading Conditions
- Assessment of Seismic Risk for Subsea Production Systems in the Gulf of Mexico
- Deepwater Anchors
- Continental Slope Innovative Foundations - Geological Oceanography Support
- Deepwater Sediment Characterization
- Acoustic Characterization of the Seafloor
- Spatial Profiling of the Sub bottom with Interface Waves
- Spatial Profiling/Inference of Subsurface Conditions From Seafloor Observations
- Reliability of Foundations for Deep Water Facilities
- Innovative Foundations in Deepwater
- Electrokinetic Strengthening of Marine Sediments Around Foundations