ABSTRACT

This section, which reviews caisson capacity assessment in clay using numerical modeling, shows that resistance envelopes for caissons under general VHM loading are not currently available, even in uniform soil. Offshore caissons are rigid circular open-ended steel cans (embedment ratio L/D > 1), usually vertical and installed by self-weight and suction. They are a technically efficient and economically effective solution to anchor floating vessels (such as FPSOs) in deep water or for jacket foundations (see Fig. 1a). Today, in the 2010’s, caisson foundations are also frequently used to support seafloor structures such as deepwater manifolds, PLEMs, PLETs, pumps, etc. (Fig. 1b).