Field tests on installation performance of a new hybrid dynamically installed anchor

The dynamically installed anchor (DIA) is a newly developed anchoring foundation applied to ocean engineering, which is installed through gravitational energy and used to secure floating structures. On the basis of the existing laboratory investigation and numerical simulation results, the present study aims to investigate the installation performance of a self-developed hybrid DIA (comprising a plate-shaped anchor and a booster) by performing large-scale field tests (sea trials) with the actual environmental loads taken into consideration. In field tests, the effects of the shape of the plate-shaped anchor, the booster weight, and the release height on the final penetration depth of the hybrid DIA within the seabed are investigated. The results indicate that the present hybrid DIA can successfully penetrate into the seabed, which is largely unaffected by environmental loads including wind, wave and current. After installation, the tilt angle from the central axis of the hybrid DIA to the vertical direction is less than 8°. Moreover, a prediction model based on the total energy of the hybrid DIA is proposed to quickly estimate the final penetration depth of the hybrid DIA, which may provide references for engineering design.