ABSTRACT
This chapter considers geotechnical analyses of the installation and undrained holding capacity of conventional suction piles or suction anchors in clay. Equations for calculation of penetration resistance and required and allowable suction that may be used to study the behavior of a suction pile during installation into seabed containing clay layers are first presented. Then, a set of equations that can be used to calculate the holding capacity of a suction pile during undrained loading when loaded at the optimum loading point is presented. In addition, different aspects such as soil plug heave, effect of internal stiffeners during installation, and effects of a potential tension gap at the back of the suction pile, nonoptimal loading point or overturning moment, time-dependent set-up after installation, tilt, and misorientation are briefly discussed together with relevant references for more detailed information. To be complete, also equations for transferring the chain load given at seabed down to the load attachment point at the pile (pad-eye) are given.
