Bucket Foundation Model Testing under Tensile Axial Loading

The present study focusses on the bucket foundation behaviour under long-term cyclic loading. The paper analyses model testing results of a bucket foundation model exposed to cyclic tensile loading. The model dimensions are 1 m in diameter and 0.5 m in skirt length. It is installed in dense water-saturated sand. Slow monotonic loading tests and cyclic tensile loading tests are performed (up to 40,000 load cycles) including tests with mean cyclic load in tension which is unique in this sense. High quality data is documented for load, displacement and pore pressure response. Conclusions are drawn regarding static and cyclic loading stiffness and displacement development during the long-term cyclic loading. Four cyclic loading tests induced partially drained soil conditions and showed that pore pressure can accumulate during the long-term loading. Post-cyclic monotonic tensile loading tests showed up to 25% reduction in capacity. The research results supply valuable information for the design of an upwind bucket foundation under a jacket structure.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author