Anchor sharing in sands: centrifuge modelling and soil element testing to characterise multi-directional loadings

Abstract

Offshore foundations are typically designed to resist mooring loads coming from a single direction. This paper provides some insights into the geotechnical challenges associated with anchor sharing (i.e. where mooring loads are coming from multiple directions to one anchor) for Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) applications. Firstly, the multi-directional mooring load conditions on shared anchors are characterised for cases with one, two and three mooring lines connections. Secondly, multi-directional loadings applied on a caisson foundation in a geotechnical centrifuge facility showed large capacity reduction and large displacement of the foundation at large loading angle. Thirdly, multi-directional simple shear tests have showed that volumetric contraction increases as the degree of shear stress reversal increases. Lastly, the results from the soil element tests are brought into discussion with the physical modelling results to identify the foundation’s response to multi-directional loading.