A series of centrifuge model tests on embedded suction anchors have been conducted to determine the horizontal, vertical and inclined loading capacities. The centrifuge model tests include as main variables the load inclination angle and the loading point with and without flanges in sand. The test results indicate that the loading capacity of the embedded suction anchor in sand increases, reaches its peak and then starts to decrease slightly as the point of load application moves downward. The maximum and minimum loading capacities occur when the applied loading is horizontal and vertical, respectively. The effect of flanges on the loading capacity is also found significant.
The embedded suction anchor (ESA) is a type of permanent offshore foundation that is installed by a suction pile. The cross-sectional shape of the ESA is circular with its diameter being the same as that of the suction pile that is used to drive it into the seafloor. To increase the loading capacity against pullout, three to four wings (vertical flanges) are attached along the circumference with equal spacing. During installation, the ESA is attached at the tip of a suction pile and then driven as a unit with the suction pile by the applied reduced water pressure inside the suction pile. Once the ESA reaches the desired depth, the suction pile is retrieved by applying a positive water pressure inside the pile, leaving the ESA permanently in the seafloor soil. The mechanism of suction pile installation is well described in the references (Bang, et al., 2000; Cho, et al., 2002a, 2002b).
A series of centrifuge model tests on the ESA to determine its horizontal, vertical, and inclined loading capacities were conducted by the Daewoo Institute of Construction Technology (DICT) during the summer of 2004.
