ABS research establishes firm foundation for jackup moves

HOUSTON -- ABS, provider of classification and technical services to the offshore industry, has issued the ABS Guidance Notes on Geotechnical Performance of Spudcan Foundations, encompassing the results from multiple targeted jackup research initiatives. This document is the industry’s first guidance to present a thorough examination of jackup foundation issues, providing methodology for installation and operation and up-to-date geotechnical site assessment.

“ABS began setting the bar for safety in offshore operations in 1958, when we provided the first classification services to the offshore industry,” says ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “We take our commitment to safety seriously, funding unique research that gives us clarity in providing guidance to support our mission of improving offshore safety.”

The Guidance Notes (GN) on Geotechnical Performance of Spudcan Foundations provides guidelines for developing a rational design for spudcan foundations that can lead to more streamlined and effective operations. It includes content on spudcan penetration prediction in a single layer soil (such as clay and sandy soil), punch-through prediction and mitigation, foundation stability assessment, foundation fixity, spudcan-jacket pile interaction and spudcan footprint interaction. The GN also provides an up-to-date geotechnical site assessment methodology, reliable methods for predicting risks for jackup installation and operation and recommendations for geotechnical design of spudcan foundations.