Interação solo-estaca de plataformas offshore

Abstract

Winkler springs are used to represent soil in the Structural Analysis of Offshore Platforms. The soil characteristics for the non-linear soil behaviour are obtained from laboratory tests or using full scale loaded piles. The API Code through the "P-Y" curves, defines the stress-strain soil characteristics for laterally loaded piles. Although, the stress-strain relationship for axial behaviour is not well defined by the Codes, a set of curves called the "T-Z" curves, are used in the Analysis of Axially loaded piles. These curves were obtained from full scale axially loaded piles as a function of depth and the skin friction to undrained shear strength ratio. The Winkler method usually works out well, for a close Winkler spring distribution. However a deep water Offshore Fixed Platform-foundation analysis by the Winkler solution, excessively increases the number of degrees of freedom. Applying Galerkin Techniques a stiffness matrix for the pile, including the soil properties, is developped, based on the integration of the differential equations for axial and lateral behaviour. The structural response is obtained using the iterative Newton-Raphson method. The results obtained for the soil-pile stiffness matrix are plotted against the Winkler solution to compare and test the numerical results provided by this method.