Discussion of “Effects of misalignment on the undrained HV capacity of suction anchors in clay” by A. Saviano and F. Pisanò

This discussion is based on the paper by Saviano and Pisanò (2017) (hereafter identified as “the original authors” or “the original paper”). The original authors employed a three-dimensional finite element analysis to investigate the effects of misalignment on the undrained capacity of suction anchors subjected to horizontal (H) and vertical loadings (V). In the original paper, various parametric studies including the misalignment angle, the anchor aspect ratio, the soil strength profile, and the interface adhesion factor on the HV failure envelope of suction anchors were comprehensively carried out. The discussion addresses the issues of the three-dimensional modelling approach for suction anchors using the model of the single anchor/plug rigid body employed in the original paper and questions the validity of the model if it corresponds to the most accurate representation of the numerical model for this type of offshore foundation.