Fully-resolved micromechanical study of suction bucket installation regimes with emphasis on piping

Kemmler S, Cuéllar P, Artinov A, Baeßler M, Köstler H (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Computers and Geotechnics Elsevier

Original Authors: Samuel Kemmler, Pablo Cuéllar, Antoni Artinov, Matthias Baeßler, Harald Köstler

Book Volume: 203

Article Number: 108628

DOI: 10.1016/j.compgeo.2026.108628

Abstract

Suction bucket foundations are a promising alternative to pile foundations for offshore structures, but the installation process in granular soils can be at risk due to hydraulic instabilities such as piping erosion. A fully-resolved coupled Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM)–Discrete Element Method (DEM) model is used to study the installation process on a micromechanical level. A parametric study classifies sampled combinations of suction loading rate, initial embedment, and soil porosity into four installation regimes: blocked conditions, stable penetration, soil plug uplift, and piping. Representative cases are analyzed at the micromechanical level. Within the investigated parameter range, the results show that lower initial embedment due to lower soil porosity and higher suction loading rates increase the susceptibility to piping. Compared with jacked installation, suction-assisted penetration reduces the total resistance mainly by decreasing inner-skirt and skirt-tip resistance, but the outer-skirt contribution increases with embedment. Based on the obtained particle-scale numerical results, piping is characterized by a progressive collapse of the force-chain network beneath the skirt tip, consistent with a backward-erosion-type mechanism.

Authors with CRIS profile

Samuel Kemmler Lehrstuhl für Informatik 10 (Systemsimulation) (LSS) Harald Köstler Lehrstuhl für Informatik 10 (Systemsimulation) (LSS)

Involved external institutions

Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt (LfU) DE Germany (DE) Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Kemmler, S., Cuéllar, P., Artinov, A., Baeßler, M., & Köstler, H. (2026). Fully-resolved micromechanical study of suction bucket installation regimes with emphasis on piping. Computers and Geotechnics, 203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2026.108628

MLA:

Kemmler, Samuel, et al. "Fully-resolved micromechanical study of suction bucket installation regimes with emphasis on piping." Computers and Geotechnics 203 (2026).

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