OCEAN BOTTOM BREAKOUT FORCES

This report presents a summary of the theoretical and experimental study which was conducted in order to arrive at some appropriate engineering estimates of the force required to extract bodies of various sizes and shapes from the ocean bottom sediments. A brief review of the literature concerned with breakout forces is presented. Based on tests conducted in San Francisco Bay on objects of various sizes and shapes and having sumberged weights on up to 22,000 pounds, an empirical relation was formulated that describes reasonably well the breakout force requirement in terms of the following parameters: A sub max, the horizontal projection of the maximum contact area; q sub d the average supporting pressure provided by the soil to maintain the embedded object in static equilibrium; t, time allowed for breakout. Results yielded by the empirical formula obtained from this study, are supported within reasonable limits by a complicated theoretical procedure based on an iterative solution of a lumped parameter model of the ocean bottom. This discussion is supplemented by adequate illustrations, development of relevant equations, and a description of computer programs implemented in this study.

  • Corporate Authors:

    Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory

    Port Hueneme, CA  United States 
  • Authors:
    • Muga, B J
  • Publication Date: 1968-6

Media Info

  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: 140 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00048053
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: National Maritime Research Center, Galveston
  • Report/Paper Numbers: R-591 Tech Note
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Oct 31 1973 12:00AM