Field test on buoyancy variation of a subsea bottom-supported foundation model

Abstract

The bottom-supported foundation is the most important component of offshore platforms, as it provides the major support to the upper structure. The buoyancy of the bottom-supported foundation is a critical issue in platform design because it counteracts parts of the vertical loads. In this paper, a model box was designed and installed with earth pressure transducers and pore pressure transducers to simulate the sitting process of the bottom-supported foundation. The buoyancy acting on the model box was calculated on the basis of two different methods, i.e., the water pressure difference between top and bottom surface and the effective stress at the bottom of the model. Field tests with different sitting times were carried out on the saturated soft clay seabed. Numerical coupled analysis was performed to verify the dissipation of the excess pore pressure at the bottom of the model. The results showed that the buoyancy of the model could reach twice the calculated value of Archimedes' law in the initial stage, however, it eventually stabilized near the theoretical value as the excess pore pressure dissipated. There was a slight fluctuation in buoyancy due to the phase lag of the pore pressure response caused by the low permeability of the seabed.