PLATE BEARING TESTS ON SEAFLOOR SEDIMENTS 



Technical Report R-694 



YF 38.535.002.01.001 



by 



T. R. Kretschmer and H. J. Lee 



ABSTRACT 



A device was developed by the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory 

 to determine the short-term, in-situ bearing pressure and settlement response 

 of marine sediments at any ocean depth. Tests were performed in cohesive 

 sediments with both round and square bearing plates at ocean depths of 

 1 ,200 and 6,000 feet. During a typical test, measurement of load, settlement, 

 and attitude of the device were transmitted acoustically to a surface vessel 

 where they were monitored and recorded. The results of these plate bearing 

 tests were found to be amenable to analysis by modified elastic and bearing 

 capacity theory. A tentative procedure for predicting the short-term settle- 

 ment of seafloor footings using the results of laboratory tests on core samples 

 was developed on the basis of these two approaches. 



This document has been approved for public release and sale; its distribution is unlimited. 



Copies available at the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific & Technical 

 Information (CFSTI), Sills Building, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Va. 22151 



