Spudcan penetration in sand overlying clay

Abstract

Punch through failures of spudcan foundations of mobile jack-up rigs during installation have been reported in practice. In the present study, centrifuge model tests were conducted to investigate the phenomenon of punch-through of a spudcan installed in a dense sand overlying normally consolidated clay. The results of tests conducted on 10-m prototype diameter spudcans revealed a distinct transition in soil failure mechanism from the overlying stiff soil to the soft clay below. The validity of conventional bearing capacity theories is evaluated against the test results. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group.