Numerical Simulation of the Installation of Suction Buckets Using MPM-Paper

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The paper evaluates the Material Point Method (MPM) for simulating suction-caisson installation, a large-deformation process that is difficult and costly to study experimentally. A two-dimensional axisymmetric model represents a rigid caisson penetrating idealized, homogeneous clay or sand. Suction installation is compared with jacked installation.<br /><br />For undrained clay, the calculated shaft resistance agrees with analytical predictions, and suction and jacking produce similar overall resistance. The underpressure does not significantly change soil strength or caisson resistance in this case.<br /><br />In coupled sand simulations, suction generates water flow and changes pore pressures inside the caisson. This reduces effective stresses and internal shaft resistance: the internal reaction is about 3.5 times lower than during jacking. External shaft resistance remains broadly similar for both methods. The influence on base resistance is uncertain because the mesh near the caisson tip is coarse.<br /><br />The results support MPM’s potential for modelling caisson installation and tracking soil stresses and pore pressures. However, the study uses simplified soil profiles and constitutive models, and its computational mesh and installation rate limit the accuracy of some results. Further work should refine the mesh, represent realistic installation times and permeability, and validate the approach against field data and complex, layered soils.

Keywords

Material Point Method

MPM

suction-caisson installation

jacked installation

undrained clay

coupled sand simulations

pore pressures

shaft resistance

effective stresses

caisson penetration