Medium-scale laboratory model of mono-bucket foundation for installation tests in sand

Design implications of suction installation of bucket foundations are still not well understood. During suction installation, applied suction under the bucket lid results in seepage flow through the surrounding sand. Seepage flow plays a pivotal role in reducing the penetration resistance, allowing for full penetration despite the initial large soil resistance. However, loosening of the inside soil plug might be problematic when the soil approaches its failure stage, due to soil piping or extensive soil heave inside the bucket foundation. To understand better the interaction between the soil and bucket skirt during suction installation, this paper describes the results of medium-scale tests of bucket foundation installation in sand, comparing jacking and suction installation. Experimental measurements of the pore pressure around the bucket skirt are compared to the numerical simulation results, to validate the finite-element model and to enable analysis of the soil behavior around the skirt.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author