Research programme
Reliability of API and CPT-based Axial Pile Capacity Design Methods
Location
Norway
Funding
Partners
Project period
2014 – 2017
The offshore design profession needs to ensure the same level of safety for the newer CPT pile design methods as for the API method. Guidelines require that the designer select an appropriate safety factor when using the newer CPT methods. The choice is to be conservative and apply a ‘high’ safety factor, or document the level of safety (for example, the annual probability of failure) and ‘calibrate’ the required load and resistance safety factors that ensures a target annual probability of failure.
The application of the pile methods are aimed at oil and gas installations and wind turbine foundations in the energy sector.
The JIP has three objectives:
Calibrate the load and resistance factors for a target annual probability of failure with five different pile design methods,
Reach a consensus on a joint and unified database of reliable pile load tests to quantify the model uncertainties for each pile design method,
Prepare recommendations for the API, ISO/OGP and Eurocode design guidelines on the design of offshore piles.
The deliverables include:
Parameter statistics and the calibrated load and resistance factor for about 15 designs,
New streamlined methods to carry out the probabilistic analysis of the axial capacity of piles,
A unified, expert-accepted and flexible database of pile load tests, accessible on the web
Recommendation of text(s) to include in the API, ISO/OGP and Eurocode guidelines.
Partners
Norwegian Geotechnical Institute NGI
Statoil
Dong Energy
Lundin
DNV GL
ONGC
Team of Experts
Imperial College London
University of Western Australia
Norwegian Geotechnical Institute BGI
Fugro Engineers B.V.
Fugro Contact: Joek Peuchen (J.Peuchen@fugro.nl)
