Vertical cyclic loading response of shallow skirted foundation in soft normally consolidated clay

Abstract

Skirted foundations are a potential foundation solution for a range of offshore structures, including hydrocarbon and renewable energy platforms and subsea structures. Offshore foundations can be subject to cyclic loading from environmental, installation, and operational events affecting the geotechnical response. A series of centrifuge tests have been performed on a shallow skirted foundation on normally consolidated kaolin clay under a range of vertical cyclic load sequences to investigate the effect of tensile or compressive average stress, the magnitude of the applied stress, and the effect of cyclic loading of low magnitude followed by consolidation on the foundation response. Results are presented as vertical foundation displacements normalized by the foundation geometry and interpreted within the traditional shear-strain contour approach. The findings indicate that the average, rather than maximum, vertical stress defines the foundation vertical displacement response and failure mode, a threshold stress exists below which a steady state is maintained even at a high number of cycles, and geotechnical resistance increases as a result of low-level cyclic loading followed by consolidation.