Characterisation of undrained shear strength using statistical methods

Abstract

Interpretation of shear strength measurements of a soil profile represents a crucial step before a bearing capacity analysis can be performed. In the case of mobile offshore drilling rigs, the installation process implies continuous bearing capacity failure. The final footing embedment is controlled by the depth at which sufficient soil resistance is reached. As this requires the expected bearing capacity with depth to be predicted accurately, uncertainty and conservatism in the soil shear strength profile need to be minimised. This paper uses a statistical approach to examine the undrained shear strengths derived from a variety of tools and to derive strength profiles for bearing capacity prediction. The main points are illustrated through examples of clay sites from the InSafeJIP data base. © 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, London.