A suction pile (also called suction caisson or suction anchor) is a steel tube connected to a pile top or cap. The cap consists of:
Valves for controlling pressure (negative pressure to embed the pile or positive pressure to remove it)
Various connections depending on the intended use of the pile
During operation, the suction pile interacts with the surrounding soil.
Engineering structures using suction piles typically operate in environments where soil-structure interaction must be considered to realistically describe the structural behavior. Using a nominal geometry, especially in the case of thin tube walls, can lead to overestimating the structural load-bearing capacity.
Imperfections either in the geometry or loading conditions must be considered for accurate computation of limit loads. An efficient method for introducing geometric imperfections involves performing a prestressed buckling analysis and generating updated geometry using the results. The adjusted geometry can then be used in a subsequent nonlinear static analysis to obtain a more realistic simulation of the structural behavior.