Numerical Analysis of Spudcan-Footprint Interaction Using Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian Approach

Abstract

The re-installation of jack-up rigs near an existing footprint left by previous installation can be problematic due to the development of horizontal and moment loads on the spudcan and hence on the jack-up leg. This paper reports the results from large-deformation finite-element analyses of spudcan-footprint interaction in non-uniform clay deposits using the Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) approach. A spudcan was first installed and extracted to form the footprint, and was then re-installed at a certain offset distance. The combined effect of strain softening and rate dependency of the clay was incorporated. The performance of the numerical model was verified by simulations of existing centrifuge tests. The reasonable agreement between the numerical and experimental results indicates that the CEL approach is an effective tool in simulating the spudcan-footprint interaction problem.