Jack-up spudcan penetration analysis: Review of semi-analytical and numerical methods

Abstract

Spudcan penetration analyses for offshore jack-up units are commonly performed in accordance with methods described in industry guidelines. However, accurate prediction of spudcan penetration resistance is challenging in layered soils. The topic has thus attracted considerable research efforts in recent years, especially in “strong over weak” punch-through type soil profiles and more recently in multi-layer alternating sand/clay profiles. This paper evaluates the performance of the current guideline methods by comparing predictions with measurements from selected well-controlled centrifuge experiments. Large Deformation Finite Element (LDFE) analyses are also performed and results are compared with the experimental results. The motivation is to examine when the guideline methods provide good predictions and when more advanced analysis, for example, LDFE analyses may be needed.