Towards an effective stress macro-element model for offshore plate anchors

To capture and predict these temporal changes in undrained soil strength around the plate anchor, this thesis develops a two-dimensional effective stress framework by extending an existing critical state-inspired theoretical framework into a 2D domain. This new 2D effective stress framework is then coupled with an existing macro-element plasticity model for an embedded plate anchor (termed ‘ES-MEM’) to enable the simulation of both anchor kinematics and resistance over the design life of the anchor. The merit of the ES-MEM is established via retrospective simulation of a series of centrifuge model scale experiments on a plate anchor in normally consolidated kaolin clay.