Note: This is study is part of a boarder project “Suction Caissons: Seafloor Characterization for Deepwater Foundation Systems’ (MMS Project 362).
A model for determining the axial pullout resistance of suction caissons is presented, including the variation of axial capacity with changes in the depth of the caisson tip. Extreme cases are presented, described, and compared to results of model tests performed at The University of Texas at Austin. A sliding block method is proposed for evaluating the performance of suction caissons under cyclic loads. An example is presented for hurricane loading on a spar structure.
A geologic model is presented for a portion of Makassar Strait near Borneo (Kalimantan). Regional geologic information as well as site-specific geophysical surveys and geotechnical investigation reports are considered. A database of geotechnical information created for the study is described. Classification of layers at 53 sites is per formed based principally on material type and plasticity index as indicators of depositional environment. The 53 sites are then classified into three geologic setting types, constituting a geologic model of the area. The geologic model is then used in conjunction with the analytical model for suction caisson capacity to illustrate the smaller variability of capacity of suction caissons at sites with the same geologic setting classification compared to the variability of capacity of suction caissons across the entire study area.
