Research Note on the estimation of unrained bearing capacity of spud can foundation under combination loading

Abstract

This research note presents a numerical investigation into the bearing behavior of an embedded spud-can in normally consolidated soil. The numerical model is implemented with ABAQUS *TM . The different embedment depths from shallow to deep are considered in this research note. The numerical model is based upon the ‘small strain finite element (SSFE)’ approach to compute capacity of the installed spud-can. The numerical model allows a systematic estimation of the combined bearing capacity of the embedded spud-can at various depths. In the numerical model the spud-can is considered as a rigid body. In the results, a normal consolidated clay profile and the soil are modeled as linearly elastic and perfectly plastic material. The bearing capacity factors for various embedment depths from shallow to deep for VHM loading for the spud-can foundation of a jack-up rig are presented. The results are also compared with other available results from the literature.