The Behavior of Suction Bucket under Cyclic Loading in Saturated Lands

Abstract

Numerical modeling was carried out to investigate the responses of suction bucket foundations under vertical cyclic loading. Numerical results were compared with centrifuge experiment results. Before the capacity of the model suction bucket to resist cyclic loading could be investigated, the static pullout capacities had to be determined. The buckets with different aspect ratio are investigated under static and cyclic loading. In the constant diameter by increasing aspect ratio the cyclic bearing capacity will be increased and the slope of graph (cyclic bearing capacity versus aspect ratio) becomes greater by increasing diameter. Under cyclic loading, the uplift capacity of the bucket was found to be 60–76% of the monotonic capacity. It is shown that when the loading amplitude is over a critical value, the sand at the upper part around the bucket is softened. Large settlements of the bucket and the sand layer around the bucket are induced by cyclic loading.