Centrifuge modelling of spudcan–pile interaction in soft clay

Abstract

The installation and extraction of jack-up spudcans may induce significant stresses in the adjacent piles supporting the permanent jacket platforms at an offshore site. In the present study, centrifuge model tests were conducted to investigate the effects of spudcan movements on the lateral and axial behaviour of adjacent fixed-head piles embedded in soft clay. Parameters such as jack-up operation period, clearance between the spudcan and pile, and the embedment length of the pile are examined. The test results show that the most critical period for platform piles is at the end of spudcan installation, and the lateral pile behaviour is more severely affected than the axial pile behaviour. During spudcan installation, the induced bending moment on a pile located one-quarter spudcan diameter away from the spudcan edge is about 2·4 times that of a pile located one spudcan diameter away. For a deeply buried spudcan with penetration of over three-quarters spudcan diameter, the induced bending moment on longer piles is much smaller than that on shorter piles. The experimental findings provide further insights into the underlying mechanisms governing spudcan–pile interaction in soft clay under various configurations and conditions.