Patent ID: 7891910

Claim:
Method of installing a bucket foundation structure comprising one, two, three or more skirts, into soils of varying characteristics in a controlled manner, where the method comprises two stages: a first stage being a design phase and the second stage being an installation phase, such that in the first stage, design parameters are determined relating to the loads on the finished foundation structure; soil profile on the location of installation; allowable installation tolerances, which parameters are used to estimate the minimum diameter and length of the skirts of the bucket, which bucket size is used to simulate load situations and penetration into foundation soil, in order to predict necessary penetration force, required suction inside the bucket and critical suction pressures, which penetration force, required suction, and critical suction pressures are used as input for a control system in the second stage, in which second stage the parameters determined in the first stage are used in order to control the installation of the bucket; and further that sensors provided in the installation equipment, such as pumps, conduits and on the structure, feeds input to the control system, where the input from the sensors are compared to the parameters derived from the first stage, and that the control system activates and/or deactivates different means arranged in and around the bucket foundation structure for creating the penetration force needed.