Analysis of Suction Anchors Bearing Capacity in Soft Clay

The paper studied bearing capacity characteristics of suction anchors with inclined loads at the optimal attachment point through conducting model test under 1g conditions. Tests results showed that the ultimate bearing capacity of suction anchors was related to the frictional factor of the anchor wall, aspect ratio, the loading direction and the failure mode. The failure mode changed with the change of aspect ratio and the loading direction. Then, the ultimate bearing capacity also changed with the change of failure mode. The limiting equilibrium method was suggested to evaluate the ultimate bearing capacity of suction anchors in soft clay with the undrained strength increasing along the depth at the optimal attachment point in the paper. It also presented a procedure to calculate the ultimate bearing capacity for suction anchors under undrained conditions. The calculation procedure was based on the undrained shear strength determined from the vane shear tests. The calculated results were comparison with the model tests results. The both were basically the same which verified the accuracy of the limiting equilibrium method used to evaluate ultimate bearing capacity of suction anchors.