A simplified method for vertical bearing capacity of bucket foundation breakwater under wave load

The bucket foundation breakwater is a new type of structure applied in port and coastal engineering, the stability of which is sustained by the bucket foundation penetrated in soft soil. The calculation of vertical bearing capacity of the bucket foundation under horizontal wave load is the important content of examination for structure stability. Considering the structure´s geometry and force characteristics, a simplified method for vertical bearing capacity calculation, based on classical bearing capacity theories, was established. The model is simple and convenient to be used. According to the project of extending breakwaters in Tianjin Port, the vertical bearing capacity of the bucket foundation breakwater was checked. The results showed that the vertical bearing capacity failure modes of bucket foundation breakwater in soft soil belonged to local failure or punching shear failure. When the height of the bucket was 8 to 10 m, the vertical bearing capacity of the bucket foundation breakwater, calculated by a variety of classical bearing capacity calculation formulas, had a high degree of stability, and the results were consistent basically.