PROJECT

Field performance of a novel dynamically installed anchor in the Swan River

Field performance of a novel dynamically installed anchor in the Swan River

Status: Complete

Project Duration: February 2019 to December 2019

Supervisors

  • Shiaohuey Chow
    Research Fellow, Centre for Offshore Foundation System, UWA
  • Youngho Kim
    Research Fellow, Centre for Offshore Foundation System, UWA

Students

  • Jeremiah Zao
    Master of Professional Engineering Student
  • Shane Rohan
    Master of Professional Engineering Student

Project Description

UWA Team has developed a novel dynamically installed fish anchor, adopting a geometry taken from nature. Many previous studies reported their physical and numerical modelling results revealing the superiority of the fish DIA, in terms of installation depth and pullout capacity. However, so far, the majority of performance data available in the public domain for fish DIA are based on numerical or reduced scale laboratory studies. Hence more study is required to investigate the behaviour of DIAs under more realistic conditions in the field.

To confirm the field applicability of the fish anchor, it is the time to carry out some large scale or full scale tests in the field. This project aims to develop a field prototype fish anchor and asses its performance in the Swan River. The field trials in the Swan River were supported through the RiverLab and we have recruited two Masters thesis students to conduct the field trials. The reliability of existing design methods in predicting the anchor final embedment depth and capacity was also assessed against the field measurements.

 

 

Figure 1 Field trials of fish DIA in Swan River: (a) Jetty test; (b) Barge test