Quasi-static three-dimensional analysis of suction anchor mooring system

The suction anchor has been widely used in taut or semi-taut mooring systems as an effective and economical solution to anchoring problems. To ensure high reliability, the profile of the mooring cable connecting the fairlead and the pad-eye must be accurately designed. However, previous studies have rarely considered the effect of cable slippage in soil on the mooring behavior, or embedded cables have been studied with an assumed tension at the seabed. This paper, by treating the cable suspended in water and the cable embedded in soil as a single cable, presents a two-dimensional (2D) static model and a three-dimensional (3D) quasi-static model for the cable during pretensioning and in service, respectively. The two models take into account the comprehensive effects of ocean currents, soil resistance and cable elasticity, all of which are critical for the design of a mooring system. Three examples are analyzed using the models and some useful conclusions are drawn. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.