Use of PIV to investigate spudcan-pile interaction

Abstract

Centrifuge model tests have been conducted on half-cut model jack-up spudcans to investigate the soil flow mechanism and the free field soil movements at the location of adjacent piles during spudcan penetration in soft clay. From the high resolution photographs taken during spudcan penetration, the resulting soil movements were evaluated using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique. The measured induced responses of an adjacent free head pile were then correlated with the measured free field soil movements at the pile location. Copyright © 2008 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE).