Marine Geotechnical Applications in Marine Structures

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Ocean Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 788

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hankyong National University, Anseong, Republic of Korea
Interests: soil–machine interaction; soil–structure interaction; soft ground consolidation; intelligent compaction; digital image analysis

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Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
Interests: offshore foundation; physical modelling; soil properties; centrifuge modelling; renewable energy; site investigation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the increasing demand for marine structures such as wind turbines, oil and gas platforms and submarine tunnels, the field of marine geotechnics has gained significant attention. The geotechnical properties of seafloor soils, which are continuously exposed to seawater, are quite different from conventional terrestrial soils and exhibit different physical properties. These differences have important implications for the design and construction of marine geotechnical structures.

In this Special Issue, we present research that investigates the behaviour of marine geotechnical structures and evaluates the properties of seafloor soils through site investigations to provide a better understanding of the practical challenges in this field. We hope that this Special Issue will provide new insights into the complexities of marine geotechnical engineering and help to fill existing research gaps.

We welcome submissions on the topic of ‘Marine Geotechnical Applications in Marine Structures’. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the physical and numerical modelling of soil–structure interactions, geotechnical properties of the seafloor and site investigations for the design of marine structures.

Dr. Sung-ha Baek
Dr. Jaehyun Kim
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • marine geotechnical engineering
  • soil–structure interaction
  • physical modelling
  • numerical modelling
  • marine structure design
  • site investigation
  • geotechnical property
  • coastal engineering
  • marine geophysics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 7049 KiB  
Article
Development of a UAV LiDAR-Based Framework for Consolidation Settlement Monitoring Through Spatial Analysis
by Seok-Jun Ko, Seongho Hong and Tae-Young Kwak
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(6), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061106 (registering DOI) - 31 May 2025
Abstract
Construction sites with deep soft deposits usually experience significant consolidation settlement that can compromise structural integrity if not properly monitored. Conventional methods, such as settlement plates, are limited by high costs and sparse spatial coverage, which leaves areas unmonitored and vulnerable to unexpected [...] Read more.
Construction sites with deep soft deposits usually experience significant consolidation settlement that can compromise structural integrity if not properly monitored. Conventional methods, such as settlement plates, are limited by high costs and sparse spatial coverage, which leaves areas unmonitored and vulnerable to unexpected settlement. Therefore, this study develops an integrated UAV LiDAR monitoring framework that optimizes data preprocessing and introduces a novel timeseries settlement correction and interpolation technique for staged surcharge loading. Using UAV LiDAR data acquired at biweekly intervals from May 2021 to March 2022 at Busan Newport, high-quality digital elevation models were generated through optimal preprocessing. We are the first to evaluate the spatial representativeness of consolidation settlement at multiple section sizes (10 m × 10 m, 50 m × 50 m, and 100 m × 100 m) using high-resolution LiDAR, revealing that larger section sizes produce greater spatial variability and prediction error. Moreover, we demonstrate that at least seven biweekly UAV LiDAR surveys are essential to reliably capture early-stage settlement behaviors, providing a practical guideline for monitoring campaigns. These findings show that the proposed UAV LiDAR framework can deliver valuable insights for managing settlement in marine and soft ground construction projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Geotechnical Applications in Marine Structures)
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17 pages, 3064 KiB  
Article
An Examination of the Failure Envelope of Finned Suction Anchors Subjected to Combined Vertical–Horizontal Loadings in Clay Through Numerical Modeling
by Angelica Gilo and Yun Wook Choo
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(6), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061104 (registering DOI) - 30 May 2025
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Abstract
The addition of fins to suction anchors has been proposed to enhance bearing capacity in combined loadings. This study examines the failure envelope of finned suction anchors subjected to combined vertical–horizontal loadings in normally and lightly over-consolidated clay using the finite element method, [...] Read more.
The addition of fins to suction anchors has been proposed to enhance bearing capacity in combined loadings. This study examines the failure envelope of finned suction anchors subjected to combined vertical–horizontal loadings in normally and lightly over-consolidated clay using the finite element method, focusing on fin capacity enhancement and fin efficiency against penetration resistance. Parameters considered include different length-to-diameter ratios of the suction anchor, as well as different fin-to-shaft-length ratios, to evaluate the effect on capacity. The addition of fins expands the vertical–horizontal failure envelope, minimally altering the shape of the failure envelope. The fin factor (the ratio of the finned suction anchor capacity to the conventional suction anchor capacity) increases with fin lengths but exhibits minimal dependence on length-to-diameter ratios. A nonlinear relationship between fin length and fin factor (both vertical and horizontal) with a distinct trend is observed in horizontal capacity. Fin efficiency (the ratio of capacity to penetration resistance) decreases with increasing fin length except at a fin length-to-shaft ratio of unity in horizontal capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Geotechnical Applications in Marine Structures)
26 pages, 16209 KiB  
Article
A Bacteria Acclimation Technology Based on Nitrogen Source Regulation and Its Application in the Reinforcement of Island and Reef Slopes
by Xin Chen, Ziyu Wang, Liang Cao, Peng Cao, Shuyue Liu, Yu Xie and Yingqi Xie
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(5), 848; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13050848 - 24 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) technology has garnered significant attention in geotechnical engineering and environmental remediation due to its environmentally friendly and cost-effective advantages. However, the current MICP technology faces challenges in practical engineering applications, particularly the prolonged cementation time, which makes [...] Read more.
Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) technology has garnered significant attention in geotechnical engineering and environmental remediation due to its environmentally friendly and cost-effective advantages. However, the current MICP technology faces challenges in practical engineering applications, particularly the prolonged cementation time, which makes it difficult to meet the requirements for coastal slope reinforcement. Therefore, this study designed novel cultivation conditions for Sporosarcina pasteurii by regulating external nitrogen source concentration and evaluated its environmental adaptability by measuring OD600, urease activity, and bacterial length. By monitoring the changes in Ca2+ concentration, pH, and precipitation rate over time during the mineralization process, rapid cementation under MICP conditions was achieved. The engineering applicability of this approach in slope reinforcement was comprehensively assessed through simulated on-site scouring and penetration tests. The reinforcement mechanism and the microstructure of the cementation under novel cultivation conditions were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that the activity of Sporosarcina pasteurii in the modified NH4-YE medium significantly improved in freshwater environments, and the MICP mineralization reaction was rapid, completing within 4 h. The primary crystal form of the generated precipitate was rhombohedral calcite, which formed a tightly bonded microstructure with calcareous sand, achieving a maximum reinforcement strength of 13.61 MPa. The penetration strength increased by at least 20%, and the precipitation rate improved by at least 2-fold. The scouring morphology remained essentially unchanged within 6 h. The findings of this study provide foundational and theoretical data for the application of MICP reinforcement technology to coastal calcareous sand models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Geotechnical Applications in Marine Structures)
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