Theoretical Analysis Of The Maximum Embedment Loss For Deepwater Anchors In Clay

As the core component of the deep-water mooring system,the deepwater anchor has a more complex movement behavior in the seabed soil with the structural innovation and technological breakthrough of the anchor.It is of great significance to explore the movement behavior of deepwater anchors with the maximum embedment loss characteristics.Deepwater anchors,typically the suction embedded plate anchor(SEPLA)and the OMNI-Max anchor,would encounter the phenomenon of embedment loss after initial penetration,which remarkably reduces the pullout capacity and affects the subsequent behavior of the anchor in clay.Therefore,the maximum embedment loss becomes a key index for design and engineering practice.In this paper,based on the mechanical mechanism and kinematic property of the anchor,the mechanical models of the maximum embedment loss of SEPLAs and OMNI-Max anchors in the seabed are established respectively.Moreover,the parameters of the anchor geometry,interactional property,soil condition,anchor line property and applied loading included in the theoretical model are investigated and analyzed.Considering the necessary parameters,a unified explicit formula for calculating the maximum embedment loss of SEPLAs and OMNI-Max anchors in clay is established by nonlinear fitting analyses.The prediction efficiency and accuracy of the formula in the present work are verified by the comparisons with the existing centrifuge tests,model tests,plastic analysis and numerical analysis.Meanwhile,the applicability of the formula in the present work is verified by comparing with the existing empirical formula of the maximum embedment loss.Compared to existing methods,the proposed formula provides a simple method for fast assessing the he maximum embedment loss of both SEPLAs and OMNI-Max anchors in clay,and performs superiorly in convenience,efficiency and applicability.