The objective of this research was to further understand the behavior of suction piles in sand during the installation process, and during both static and dynamic tensile loading after installation. Previous research conducted as part of this program at the University of Texas at Austin resulted in qualifying that suction forces developed during pile pull-out are the major component of the total tensile capacity of the suction pile. The research presented here was conducted to improve understanding of the magnitude and distribution of the suction forces developed during tensile loading, and whether a portion of these suction forces could be relied upon to provide any long term capacity to the suction pile during loading. An additional objective of this research was to understand the stress conditions within the pile and soil during installation and loading.
