1972) to improve sediment properties or seating and removal of bottom supported structures with the advantage of providing temporary support. Other uses include preconsolidation of soft silts (Valent et al. Potential applications include use as a reaction base for deep sea salvage operations, mining vehicles or bottom penetrometer and coring equipment. The suction anchor is one of many new innovative developments which is likely to find numerous applications in the marine environment.

Although originally intended to provide short-term anchorage capability, long-term and intermittent uses are possible. The suction anchor utilizes suction to attach to the seafloor and to modify soil conditions thus developing a vertical breakout resistance. This study provides a method of assessing the value of suction-anchors by predicting anchor capacity from soil properties, anchor geometry, and suction intensity. Other potential applications of the suction anchor include the anchorage of research submersibles, bottom coring platforms, and certain salvage and dredging operations. Because of their ability to increase foundation stability, suction anchors could also possibly be used to reduce the mass of needed concrete in gravity structures, and thus reduce the cost of construction. The suction anchor could be attached to offshore structures to assist with installation problems and to improve stability during extreme events such as hurricanes. Two numerical examples were given to illustrate engineering applications of the design charts.

This breakout capacity equation was presented in graphical form to facilitate computations for anchor design.

Based upon the observed failure mechanism together with the Mohr-Coulomb failure theory, a vertical breakout capacity equation for suction anchors was developed. The breakout behavior of model suction anchors in various soils was described. The suction anchor develops a vertical breakout resistance by creating a smaller pressure beneath the anchor than the ambient pressure.

Anchor application