Importance

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Abstract

A suction anchor (10) comprising a caisson (12) with side wall (14), open bottom (22) and closed top (26) that define the interior volume if the caisson. When the anchor is placed on a seabed (100) of fluent mud, a top connector (28) allows temporary connection of a pump (200) to suck seabed mud (102) through the open bottom into the caisson's interior, the bottom edge (20) of the caisson wall (14) allowing the anchor to cut into, and become embedded within the seabed (100). To increase resistance of the embedded anchor (10) from being withdrawn, the caisson is internally fitted with a seabed soil retaining means (30) that receives and retains mud during anchor embedment. The seabed soil retaining means comprises an open-topped container secured within the caisson, the open top (38) being located just below the caisson's closed top (26). By forming the container wall (36) as a downwardly convergent cone, the passage (102) of mud upwardly past the outside of the container (30) during embodiment of the anchor is minimally impeded. As well as improving the stability and performance of suction anchors, the invention can also be applied to similarly improving the stability and performance of embeddable gravity bases or to seabed anchors embedded by downwardly directed dynamic mechanical forces, rather than by suction. The anchors can be embedded vertically or non-vertically.

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First Claim