Study on Integral Performance of Suction Bucket-Marine Soil-Jacket Support of Offshore Wind Power

Since the suction bucket foundation has been applied in the offshore wind power project, the structure above the mud line bears the actions of loads caused by various marine environmental factors, such as wind, waves, and currents. Currently, the industry primarily focuses on studying the mechanism and force characteristics of the interaction between the pile and the soil. Few researches regarding the integration of the suction bucket-jacket are present. In the study, the equivalent three-dimensional nonlinear spring stiffness is created by the suction bucket-soil nonlinear response analysis through PLAXIS 3D, then combined with SACS to carry out the integrated response analysis of the suction bucket-jacket foundation. The study investigates the structural force and deformation of the suction bucket with the same steel consumption but different sizes. It also examines the displacement at the top of the jacket and the dynamic characteristics of the entire structure under extreme conditions. We found that within the range of 0.8–1.2 slenderness ratio of the suction bucket, an increase in slenderness ratio would lead to an increase in mud depth, a decrease in the displacement of the structure, and an increase in modal frequency.