Seabed Slope Effect on the Suction Pile Lateral Capacity in Cohesive Soil Available to Purchase

Offshore piles including top loaded suction piles have often been installed on a sloping seabed due to the complex bathymetries and near-surface geohazards. Since the load transfer mechanism for a laterally loaded pile is complex when it is located on a sloping seabed, the currently available methods of analyses for laterally loaded piles in level seabed cannot be directly applied to such piles. The calculation of the ultimate lateral pile capacity considering the seabed slope is a challenging task and it becomes essential to assess the seabed slope effect on the pile ultimate lateral capacity before engaging in a detailed analysis. In an attempt to investigate seabed gradient, the ultimate lateral capacity of the single pile in cohesive soil is investigated with various seabed slope angles utilizing the finite element analysis (FEA). A companion analytical study is also performed using the beam column analysis (BCA) in this paper. The study is primarily aimed to elucidate the "seabed slope correction factor" derived from the ratio of ultimate lateral pile capacity installed in a sloping seabed to one installed in a level seabed. The outcome of the two studies is to derive the seabed slope correction factor as a function of the pile aspect (length to diameter) ratio and to compare between the FEA and the BCA approach. The study also investigates the effect of pile diameter and soil stiffness on the seabed slope correction factor.