Set-Up of Large Diameter Driven Pipe Piles in Deepwater Normally Consolidated High Plasticity Clays

Abstract

This paper will show on the basis of hindcast wave equation analysis that soil-pile set-up for large diameter driven pipe piles in clay is faster than what the current state-of-practice utilizes for design. Results of hindcast wave equation analyses utilizing observed blowcounts and hammer energy records from two deepwater sites, one in West Africa and the other one in the Gulf of Mexico, are presented to support this conclusion. For offshore structures, this increase in the rate of soil-pile set-up reduces foundation/anchor costs or reduces the waiting time until topsides can be set on the structure or mooring lines can be hooked up to anchors. Hindcast wave equation analyses were performed utilizing the observed blowcount and hammer energy information from two deepwater West Africa and Gulf of Mexico locations where pile driving was stopped and then restarted after a few days. This is a trial and error method of analysis where the soil resistance to driving (SRD) was varied until a good match was obtained between the observed blowcount at the startup of driving and the reported hammer energy using the GRLWEAP wave equation program. The set-up time for the piles ranged from about one to twelve (12) days and the piles ranged from 2134 mm to 2743 mm diameter open-ended pipe piles. The soils generally consisted of normally to slightly overconsolidated highly plastic clays. For the purpose of computing pile set-up, the ultimate pile capacity was computed using the API RP 2A (2000) guidelines. Results show that 60 to 80 percent of the ultimate pile capacity is mobilized in about 7 days, and the extrapolation of the set-up model suggests that the set-up is almost complete in about 60 days.

Reserch on the Large Diameter and Supper Long Pile Running under Self-Weight in the Ocean Engineering

“…When the pile-running commences, the soil surrounding the pile will be in a completely remolded condition and the bearing resistance will be affected to some degree. Hence, the pile will run faster and will not stop in the clayey soil layer (Dutt and Ehlers, 2009;Gerwick, 2004).…”