Seminar - Hossein Taiebat - Behaviour of offshore foundations subjected to cyclic loading

Thursday, May 13, 1999, 3 - 4 pm
Civil Engineering Lecture Room 1

Abstract

The stability of foundations for offshore structures can be strongly affected if the seabed sediments have the potential to liquefy under wave-induced cyclic loading. The potential for liquefaction of seabed soils, particularly loose sands, is therefore a major issue that should be considered by the designers of offshore facilities on granular materials.

In this seminar the importance of cyclic loading in design of offshore foundations will be reviewed. The phenomenon of liquefaction of sandy soil is explained in the context of an elasto-plastic model for soil. A numerical procedure for liquefaction analysis will be briefly explained. Application of the elasto-plastic model to liquefaction analysis of an offshore foundation is presented and the results of the analysis will be discussed.