Investigation on the installation and monotonic uplift performance of bucket foundation in clay

Bucket foundations are usually used as foundations to support offshore wind turbines or anchors to secure floating platforms. Though many researchers have concerned the performance of the bucket foundation in sand and clay, there still exists uncertainties associated with the installation and monotonic uplift of the bucket foundation in clay. First, the effect of chamfer on the bearing capacity of the skirt and the soil plug heave during installation is unclear. Second, the effect of overloading during installation on the mobilisation of the suction during monotonic uplift is lack of study. The present study conducts physical model tests and finite element analyses to simulate the installation and vertical uplift of the bucket foundation, aiming at quantitatively addressing the above uncertainties. Results from model tests and numerical simulations indicate the skirt with external chamfer increases the bearing capacity factor during installation, while significantly reduces the soil plug heave. The overloading during installation facilitates the fully mobilisation of the suction, ensuring the suction to maintain for a large uplift displacement.