Setup Following Installation of Dynamic Anchors in Normally Consolidated Clay

Abstract

This paper describes a series of centrifuge model tests designed to assess the increase in capacity of dynamic anchors due to setup in normally consolidated clay. The tests involved measurement of the vertical capacity of 1:200 reduced scale model anchors following various periods of postinstallation consolidation. The short-term capacity was shown to be dependent on the anchor impact velocity. Cavity expansion solutions for consolidation around a solid driven pile were found to provide agreement with the experimental results. A simplified capacity calculation technique predicted higher friction ratio values than is typically observed for driven piles; however, these calculations were complicated by the unusual dynamic anchor load–displacement response and uncertainty regarding the true sample shear strength. Dynamic anchor consolidation proceeds at a slower rate than for suction caissons and open-ended piles of similar equivalent diameter. However, the results indicate that depending on the site conditions, dynamically installed anchors remain a viable alternative to conventional deep-water mooring techniques.