The use of CPT based metamodels to predict the performance of offshore anchor piles

The paper presents the development of metamodels for the prediction of the load- displacement response of steel piles driven in sand subjected to pull-out. Two metamodels are created for the evaluation of the tensile capacity and initial stiffness of the pile. They were developed based on the outcomes of a finite element testing campaign, employing models of parameters derived from the tip resistance of cone penetration tests. Two hundreds finite element simulations, which included various soil-pile configurations, were required to calibrate accurate metamodels. Assessment of the procedure was carried out with reference to available data on a model pile and related cone penetration test results. The approach relies on particularly simplified finite element models, but it can be extended to accommodate modelling features of higher com plexity. The results find application to the design of offshore piles used as anchors for floating structures