Study on displacement mode of bucket foundation revetment in deep soft soil foundation

Bucket foundation structures are commonly employed as breakwaters or revetments in deep soft soil foundations, particularly when used as bucket foundation revetments with complex backfill load conditions. To explore the displacement mode and the influencing mechanism of bucket foundation revetments under different stages of backfill loads, geotechnical centrifuge model tests and finite element simulations are carried out. Subsequently, a method for displacement decomposition calculation of bucket foundation revetments is proposed. The research findings reveal that during the backfilling process inside the bucket, the soil at the bucket bottom is compressed, resulting in a settlement-displacement mode of the bucket. During the land-side backfilling stage, the soil in the upper part of the land side and the sea side of the lower bucket is compressed. This causes the bucket to experience a sliding-displacement mode towards the sea side and an overturning-displacement mode towards the land side. The rotation center is located at the bucket bottom on the sea side and gradually moves towards the bucket in an oblique upward direction during the backfilling process. Reinforcing the soft soil foundation with sand piles around and at the bottom of the bucket can effectively enhance the vertical bearing capacity and reduce settlement. However, it is not effective for reducing lateral loads. The research results of this article can offer a theoretical basis for the study of the displacement mode of bucket foundation revetments.