Subsea foundations

Abstract

A method of constructing a sliding subsea foundation includes embedding at least one mass of rocks in seabed soil and placing a sliding mudmat on the seabed over the or each mass of rocks. The rocks can be lowered into a cavity in the seabed by dumping the rocks into the cavity or when contained within a gabion that is inserted into the cavity. Alternatively, a gabion containing the rocks can penetrate the seabed soil, driven by self-weight or additionally by a deadweight bearing on the gabion. The gabion can be lowered toward the seabed suspended from the deadweight. The deadweight can be removed and recovered after the gabion has been embedded in the seabed. The mass of rocks is embedded within an area of excursion of the mudmat to ensure that the mudmat will lie directly above the mass of rocks at any position within the area of excursion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.