Geotechnical characterization of sediments from the Rockall Bank Slide Complex

The main reason for this research is the possibility of landslides that could trigger a tsunami together with general interest from the oil and gas industry. The goal of this thesis is to find out what the geotechnical properties are of the 7 different locations at the eastern flank of the Rockall bank which is located to the west of Ireland and...

Improving the quality control of Cofra Roller Compaction: A study on the relation between the impact acceleration and the soil compaction

Ground improvement in the form of soil compaction plays a important part in reclamation projects. The development of the Cofra Roller Compaction (CRC), a non-circular impact roller, has proven to be valuable in these projects. However, the heterogeneity of the subsoil causes locally a non-uniform degree of compaction. Traditional compaction...

Modelling the Installation of a Cone: Using a 2D-Axisymmetric Material Point Method Model

In this work the installation process of a cone penetrating into a sand system is modelled using a 2D-axisymmetric material point method (MPM) model in order to investigate the installation processes and to predict the plastic radius. One meter of cone penetration is modelled under a surcharge of 50 kPa. The used constitutive model is Mohr...

Problems with cast-in-situ concrete piles: A study on the possible causes of excessive bleeding

First of all, an overview was created of different problems that can occur by the construction of cast-in-situ concrete piles, discussing the mechanisms that cause these problems. From the overview it was concluded that little information is present about the exact cause of excessive bleeding. Two possible causes were identified, excess pore...

Risk imposed on terpen due to liquefaction caused by induced earthquakes

In total 326 terpen in the Netherlands are classified as national monuments. A large portion of the terpen are located in the province Groningen. Groningen is often in the news, because of the earthquakes that took place, which were caused by the gas-extraction activities. The earthquakes caused damage to infrastructure and they can also be a...

The Thermal Cone Penetration Test Potentials in Soil Investigation

The widely used cone penetration test (CPT) allows in-situ measurements of soil behaviour during continuous penetration. The traditional sensors incorporated in a cone penetrometer are for measuring cone resistance, sleeve friction, pore pressure, and inclination. Many supplementary sensors have been studied and tried in research settings and in...

Appraisal of Friction Coefficients Between TBM and Conditioned Soil: A Laboratory Investigation Adopting a Direct Shear Apparatus

During the advance of a tunnel boring machine (TBM), the torque applied to rotate the cutterhead must overcome the resisting moments acting on it. Hence, one of the major concerns of TBM design is to determine the torque and power requirements of the excavation machine. The first empirical approach for torque estimation was developed in the 80’s...

Dry Deep Soil Mixing Soil-Cement column panels as bottom struts for excavation support: Revising of design methodology in Scandinavia

Deep Soil Mixing is an often-applied technique in the reinforcement of embankments, but little has been done to investigate and understand its behavior when used in excavation projects. The present research presents a database of the results of previous studies on the Deep Soil Mixing technique in Scandinavian soils. An expression that can...

Probabilistic analysis of immersed tunnel settlement using CPT and MASW

Settlement data of the Kiltunnel and the Heinenoordtunnel show that immersed tunnels in the Netherlands have been experiencing much larger settlement than expected when designing the tunnels causing cracks in the concrete and leakages in the joints. Settlements of 8 - 70 mm have been measured at the Kiltunnel and of 7 - 30 mm at the...

Numerical assessment of preloading strategies for jack-up vessels in cohesive soils

As the demand for renewable energy is constantly rising, more offshore wind farms are being built at sea to meet European targets towards sustainable energy transition. Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Aeolus was purposely-built to transport and install foundations of offshore wind turbines. To ensure that the vessel remains competitive...

Finite Element analysis of soft boundary effects on the behaviour of shallow foundations

The response of a shallow foundation has been investigated by numerical simulations in a series of 1g small scale tests using the Finite Element Method. In this numerical study, special attention has been given to the influence of soft boundaries as a measure to counteract boundary effects, since limitations of space were present in the...