Criterion for Failure Modes of Suction Caisson

in Sand under Axial Pullout Load

Jinfu Xiao
jxiao3@ncsu.edu
Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental
Engineering, North Carolina State University

Doctoral Preliminary Oral Presentation

Failure Modes
Failure Mode I
In Failure Mode I the soil remains in position during the pullout process of suction caisson, only
the pore water is lifted to fill the induced space beneath the caisson lid as illustrated in Figure (a).

The pullout capacity is composed of the caisson’s weight, internal skirt wall friction, external skirt
wall friction, suction beneath the lid and the reverse end bearing resistance of the annular caisson’s
tip. The internal and external skirt wall friction takes the main contribution to the pullout capacity,
so generally the pullout capacity decreases during the pullout process as illustrated in Figure (b).
Failure Mode II
In Failure Mode II the core soil-plug moves upward with caisson during the pullout process of
suction caisson, the soil flow around the caisson is generated to fill the induced space at the
caisson’s base as illustrated in Figure (a).

The total pullout capacity is composed of the total weight of caisson and core soil, the external
skirt wall friction due to soil flow and the suction at caisson’s base as illustrated in Figure (b).
Failure Mode III
In Failure Mode III the core soil-plug inside the caisson moves upward with caisson during the
pullout process, the caisson and core soil-plug act together as a pile, the velocity of soil flow
generated around the caisson is smaller than the pullout rate of suction caisson, so the soil flow is
not enough to fill the induced space at the caisson’s base and cavity occurs at the caisson’s base
due to the soil tension failure, as illustrated in Figure (a).

The pullout capacity is composed of the total weight of caisson and core soil, the external skirt wall
friction and the suction at caisson’s base as illustrated in Figure (b).
Criterion
Criterion for Failure Modes

The failure modes are complex influenced by multiple factors, such as pullout rate,
hydraulic conductivity, length of drainage path, shear strength properties of soil.
With other parameters being constant, the pullout rate increases during the
transition from Failure Mode I to Failure Mode III.
Terminology in the Criterion
Terminology in the Criterion

For more details please refer to the author’s publications.

Procedures of judging failure modes

if Vpullout > Vmax

Failure Mode I, II & III

Step 1a if Vpullout < Vmax

if Vpullout > Vliq

Step 1 Failure Mode I, II & III

Step 1b if Vpullout < Vliq

Failure Mode I Failure Mode II & III

Step 2 if Vpullout < Umax if Vpullout > Umax

Failure Mode II Failure Mode III

(Note: Vmax > Vliq is always and unconditionally true)

Case Study
In the case study the criterion proposed by in this paper is verified by the experimental data
from five model tests (test 9, test 10, test 11, test 16 and test 23) performed by Houlsby et al
(2005). In the model tests, the dimension of the caisson model is 280 mm in diameter and
180 mm in skirt length (Kelly et al. 2006). The Redhill sand and HPF5 sand were used as
test soil samples.
Failure modes for the model tests determined by criterion
Failure modes for the model tests determined by criterion
Failure modes for the model tests determined by criterion
Failure modes for the model tests determined by criterion
Failure modes for the model tests determined by criterion
 Summary

The criterion for failure modes of suction caisson in

sand under axial pullout load has been verified by the
experimental data (Houlsby et al 2005).
The failure modes determined by the criterion show
good agreement with the pullout capacity curve
pattern from experimental data.
Thank You!