Investigation of seepage around the bucket skirt during installation in sand: AAU CPT-based method for the installation of suction bucket

First aim of this study is to evaluate a pore pressure factor, . The factor describes the ratio between the excess pore pressure generated on the bucket tip and the applied suction under the bucket lid. The pore pressure factor can be then used for prediction of excess pore pressure at the tip or along bucket skirt with known soil condition, bucket geometry and applied suction.

The second aim of the study is to evaluate expressions for normalized seepage length, s/h, for different soil combinations and penetration depths. The seepage length is then 7 used to make a prediction of critical pressure that will create piping channels at exit, which is near to seabed and to the caisson wall, along bucket wall and at the tip. That is how the limits for suction installation can be assumed. Finally, the critical suction is used for predicting the reduction of penetration resistance and the method describing this approach is presented in the report with its assumptions. The method is called AAU CPT-based method and it is a great step in the development of practical design tool for bucket foundation installation process.