03 October 2013

SHEIKH JABER AL‐AHMAD AL‐SABAH 
CAUSEWAY PROJECT (RA‐140) 

Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. 

CASING LENGTH ANALYSIS

Date: 03 October 2013

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. DESIGN ASSUMPTION........................................................................................ 3

1.1. EVALUATION OF THE LIMIT SKIN FRICTION ............................................................... 3

1.2. LOADS APPLIED TO THE STEEL CASING ................................................................... 4
1.3. EVALUATION OF THE FACTOR OF SAFETY (FS) ....................................................... 4

2. CASING BEARING CAPACITY EVALUATION ..................................................... 5

2.1. SHUWAIKH BRIDGE .............................................................................................. 5

2.2. APPROACH BRIDGE SOUTH .................................................................................. 6
2.3. MAIN BRIDGE ...................................................................................................... 7
2.4. APPROACH BRIDGE NORTH .................................................................................. 8
2.5. SUBIYAH BRIDGE ................................................................................................. 9

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1. DESIGN ASSUMPTION

1.1. Evaluation of the limit skin friction

The bearing capacity of the steel casing is due only to the skin friction that can be
developed between the soil and the casing.
To evaluate the lateral limit skin friction capacity the following static formulas are
used:
PL,lim = D (i Hi)

where the symbols are:

D = casing Overall Diameter;
i = casing-soil limit adhesion of i_stratum;
Hi = thickness of i_stratum;
The local values of the pile-soil limit adhesion "i " are computed as follows:

 Cohesionless soil
i = Ki tan(i) ‘vi
where:
‘Vi = effective overburden pressure in the middle of i_stratum;
Ki = ratio between horizontal and vertical effective stresses that is assumed equal
to 0.6
i = friction angle between pile and soil at i_stratum (i = 24° for steel-soil
adhesion)

 Cohesive soil
i = Cu
where:
= ratio between soil-pile adhesion and undrained shear strength, assumed
according AGI (1982) and API (1984) recommendation and arranged by our
experience.
Cu= is the undrained shear strength evaluated in the middle of i_stratum

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The upper clay is considered in the calculation as a normal consolidated layer.

Considering an initial Cu value of 4 kPa as shown in the ”Geotechnical
investigation – Interpretative report”, the undrained shear strength evaluated
according to the formula proposed by Ladd (1977) is:
Cu-NC = 4 + 0.23 x ‘V (with ‘V expressed in kPa)

1.2. Loads applied to the steel casing

For the casing stability against sinking the worst loading condition is during the
initial concreting phase.
In fact in this phase the load applied casing are :
 Casing self weight (WP)
It depends on the casing overall diameter and on its thickness:
∙ 2∙
 ∙ ∙  
4
where the symbols are:
D = casing Overall Diameter;
tk = casing thickness
LC = total length of the casing;
steel = 78.5 KN/m3 is the steel unit weight

 Steel cage weight (Wcage)

 Trimie Pipe weight (WTP)

It is evaluated in 60 kN.

1.3. Evaluation of the Factor of Safety (FS)

The evaluation of the Factor of Safety is carried out according to the following
formula:
,
 

The Factor of Safety should be higher than 1.5

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2. CASING BEARING CAPACITY EVALUATION

2.1. Shuwaikh Bridge

1 - Shuwaikh Bridge (reference drill log BH1-PLT-05)

Gruond Level el. 0.94 m

Casing top elevation 5.9 m

Casing toe elevation -10.10 m
Casing length Lc= 16 m
Casing embedded length Lemb= 11.04 m
Casing diameter (O.D.) D= 2.5 m
Casing thickness tk= 19 mm

Total Steel Casing weight W p= 186 kN

Steel Cage weight W cage= 310 kN
Trime Pipe weight W TP= 60 kN
Total weight 556 kN
Soil Soil Top Bottom Thickness n  ' v-mean k  C u-top C u-bottom C u-mean α  P Li
description Type depth depth
(-) (-) (m) (m) (m) (°) (kPa) (-) (-) (kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (-) (kPa) (kN)
Caprock / Sand S 0 11.04 11.04 18 44.16 0.6 24 0 0 11.8 1023
P L,lim = 1023 (kN)

FS = 1.84 OK

NOTE : With our design approach the casing

bearing capacity is verified with a casing
length of 16m.

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2.2. Approach Bridge South

2 - Approach Bridge South (reference drill log BH3-PLT-01)

Gruond Level el. -10.3 m

Casing top elevation 5.9 m

Casing toe elevation -24.10 m
Casing length Lc= 30.00 m
Casing embedded length Lemb = 13.80 m
Casing diameter (O.D.) D= 3m
Casing thickness tk= 19 mm

Total Steel Casing weight W p= 419 kN

Steel Cage weight W cage = 720 kN
Trime Pipe weight W TP= 60 kN
Total weight 1199 kN
Soil Soil Top Bottom Thickness n  ' v-mean k  C u-top C u-bottom C u-mean α  P Li
descrption Type depth depth
(-) (-) (m) (m) (m) (°) (kPa) (-) (-) (kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (-) (kPa) (kN)
Clay A 0.0 11.5 11.5 17 40.25 4 22.52 13.26 1 13.3 1437
Sand S 11.5 13.8 2.3 18 89.7 0.6 24 0.00 0.00 24.0 519
P L,lim = 1956 (kN)

FS = 1.63 OK

NOTE : With our design approach the casing

bearing capacity is verified with a casing length of
30m.

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2.3. Main Bridge

3 - Main Bridge (reference drill log BH3-PLT-03)

Gruond Level el. -10.6 m

Casing top elevation 5.9 m

Casing toe elevation -22.60 m
Casing length Lc= 28.50 m
Casing embedded length Lemb= 12.00 m
Casing diameter (O.D.) D= 3m
Casing thickness tk= 19 mm

Total Steel Casing weight W p= 398 kN

Steel Cage weight W cage= 355 kN
Trime Pipe weight W TP= 60 kN
Total weight 813 kN
Soil Soil Top Bottom Thickness n  ' v-mean k  C u-top C u-bottom C u-mean α  P Li
descrption Type depth depth
(-) (-) (m) (m) (m) (°) (kPa) (-) (-) (kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (-) (kPa) (kN)
Clay A 0.0 10.5 10.5 17 36.75 4 20.91 12.45 1 12.5 1232
Sand S 10.5 12.0 1.5 18 79.5 0.6 24 0.00 0.00 21.2 300
P L,lim = 1533 (kN)

FS = 1.88 OK

NOTE : The casing is extended in the lower sand layer

for 1.5m.

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2.4. Approach Bridge North

4 - Approch Bridge North (reference drill log BH3-PLT-07)

Gruond Level el. -5.2 m

Casing top elevation 5.9 m

Casing toe elevation -30.10 m
Casing length Lc= 36.00 m
Casing embedded length Lemb= 24.90 m
Casing diameter (O.D.) D= 3m
Casing thickness tk= 19 mm

Total Steel Casing weight W p= 503 kN

Steel Cage weight W cage= 760 kN
Trime Pipe weight W TP= 60 kN
. Total weight 1323 kN

Soil Soil Top Bottom Thickness n  ' v-mean k  C u-top C u-bottom C u-mean α  P Li
descrption Type depth depth
(-) (-) (m) (m) (m) (°) (kPa) (-) (-) (kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (-) (kPa) (kN)
Clay A 0.0 24.9 24.9 17 87.15 4 44.09 24.04 0.9 21.6 5078
P L,lim = 5078 (kN)

FS = 3.84 OK

NOTE : The Casing bearing capacity is verified with the

length proposed by Hyunday. Considering that the casting
top level has been moved from elevation -1.2 m to elevation
+6.3m and considering the poor cohesion of the clay layer, in
order to avoid significant issues concerning the
overconsumption of concrete in the clay portion not covered
from the casing, we suggest a minimum embedded length of
the steel casing of about 25m from the sea bed.
As a consequence, the minimum casing length required is
36.00m.

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2.5. Subiyah Bridge

5 - Subiyah Bridge (reference drill log BH3-PLT-09)

Gruond Level el. -4 m

Casing top elevation 5.9 m

Casing toe elevation -29.10 m
Casing length Lc= 35.00 m
Casing embedded length Lemb= 25.10 m
Casing diameter (O.D.) D= 3m
Casing thickness tk= 19 mm

Total Steel Casing weight W p= 489 kN

Steel Cage weight W cage = 670 kN
Trime Pipe weight W TP= 60 kN
Total weight 1219 kN
Soil Soil Top Bottom Thickness n  ' v-mean k  C u-top C u-bottom C u-mean α  P Li
descrption Type depth depth
(-) (-) (m) (m) (m) (°) (kPa) (-) (-) (kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (-) (kPa) (kN)
Clay A 0.0 25.1 25.1 17 87.85 4 44.41 24.21 0.9 21.8 5153
P L,lim = 5153 (kN)

FS = 4.23 OK

NOTE : With our design approach the casing bearing

capacity is verified with a casing length of 22m. Considering
that the casting top level has been moved from elevation -
1.2 m to elevation +6.3m and considering the poor cohesion
of the clay layer, in order to avoid significant issues
concerning the overconsumption of concrete in the clay
portion not covered from the casing, we suggest a minimum
embedded length of the steel casing of about 25m from the
sea bed.
As a consequence, the minimum casing length required is
35.00m.

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