Personnel

Prof Mark Cassidy

Director
Professor
Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems 

Contact Information

Phone: (61 8) 6488 3732 
Fax: (61 8) 6488 1044 
E-mail: mcassidy@civil.uwa.edu.au

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PROFILE

Mark completed his first degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland in 1994. Following graduation he joined consulting engineering firm Ove Arups in Brisbane, where he was involved in the design of the central station in Hong Kong’s new airport-rail link. In October 1995, Mark moved to the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. His doctorate was concerned with the numerical modelling of the dynamic response of jack-up platforms subjected to random ocean waves and was successfully examined in September 1999.

Since graduating from Oxford, Mark has spent two months working for the World Commission on Dams in Cape Town, South Africa and then two months consulting for the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC). He joined COFS in March 2000 to work in the area of wave-structure-soil interaction.
 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

·          Development of elasto-plastic numerical models for shallow foundation behaviour

 

·          Numerical modelling of the dynamic response of jack-up platforms subjected to random ocean waves

 

·          Risk assessment and the optimisation of offshore foundation systems

 

·          Use of probabilistic methods in the understanding of offshore problems

 

·          Stability analysis of offshore pipelines

 

·          Geotechnical centrifuge modelling

 

Further information on the wave-structure-soil interaction stream of COFS can be found here.
 

PUBLICATIONS

Thesis

Cassidy, M.J. (1999). Non-linear analysis of jack-up structures subjected to random waves, D.Phil Thesis, University of Oxford.

 

Books

Gourvenec, S. and Cassidy, M.J. (Ed.) (2005). Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics, Taylor and Francis Group, London, ISBN 0 415 39063.

 

Journal Papers

1.       Cassidy, M.J., Eatock Taylor, R., Houlsby, G.T. (2001). Analysis of jack-up units using a Constrained NewWave methodology. Applied Ocean Research, Vol. 23, pp. 221-234.

 

2.       Cassidy, M.J., Taylor, P.H., Eatock Taylor, R., Houlsby, G.T. (2002). Evaluation of long-term extreme response statistics of jack-up platforms. Ocean Engineering, Vol. 29, No. 13, pp. 1603-1631.

 

3.       Houlsby, G.T. and Cassidy, M.J. (2002). A plasticity model for the behaviour of footings on sand under combined loading. Géotechnique, Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 117-129.

 

4.       Tuty, S., Cassidy, M.J., Ronalds, B.F. (2002). Investigation of shallow water kinematics and local loading effects on reliability of minimum structures. Journal Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, ASME, Vol. 124, Issue 1, pp. 41-47.

 

5.       Cassidy, M.J. and Houlsby, G.T. (2002). Vertical bearing capacity factors for conical footings on sand. Géotechnique, Vol. 52, No. 9, pp. 687-692.

 

6.       Cassidy, M.J., Byrne, B.W., Houlsby, G.T. (2002). Modelling the behaviour of circular footings under combined loading on loose carbonate sand. Géotechnique, Vol. 52, No. 10, pp. 705-712.

 

7.       Cassidy, M.J., Houlsby, G.T., Eatock Taylor, R. (2003). Probabilistic models applicable for the short-term extreme response analysis of jack-up platforms. Journal Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, ASME, Vol. 125, Issue 4, pp. 249-263.

 

8.       Cassidy, M.J., Byrne, B.W. and Randolph, M.F. (2004). A comparison of the combined load behaviour of spudcan and caisson foundations on soft normally consolidated clay. Géotechnique, Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 91-106.

 

9.       Cassidy, M.J., Martin, C.M., Houlsby, G.T. (2004). Development and application of force resultant models describing jack-up foundation behaviour. Marine Structures, Vol. 17 No. 3-4, pp. 165-193.

 

10.    Cassidy, M.J., Airey, D.W. and Carter, J.P. (2005). Numerical modelling of circular footings subjected to monotonic inclined loading on calcareous sands. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 131, No. 1, pp. 52-63.

 

11.    Vlahos, G., Martin, C.M., Prior, M.S., Cassidy, M.J. (2005). Development of a model jack-up unit for the study of soil–structure interaction on clay. Int. Journal of Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 31-48.

 

12.    Houlsby, G.T., Cassidy, M.J., Einav, I. (2005). A generalised Winkler model for the behaviour of shallow foundations. Géotechnique, Vol. 55, No. 6, pp. 449-460.

 

13.    Cassidy, M.J. and Cheong, J. (2005). The behaviour of circular footings on sand subjected to combined vertical-torsion loading. Int. Journal of Physical Modelling in Geotechnics,  Int. Journal of Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 01-14.

 

14.    Einav, I. and Cassidy M.J. (2005). A variational formulation for macro modelling of rigid foundations. Computers and Geotechnics, Vol. 32, No. 7, pp. 491-504.

 

15.    Cassidy, M.J. (2006). Application of force-resultant models in the analysis of offshore pipelines. Int. Journal of Structural Engineering and Mechanics, Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 511-515.

 

16.    Bienen, B. and Cassidy, M.J. (2006). Three-dimensional analysis of jack-up structures. Journal of Advances in Structural Engineering, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 19-37.

 

17.    O’Neill, L., Fakas, E., Cassidy, M.J. (2006). A methodology to simulate floating offshore operations using a design wave theory. Journal Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, ASME, Vol. 128, No 4, pp. 304-313.

 

18.    Bienen, B., Byrne, B.W., Houlsby, G.T., Cassidy, M.J. (2006). Investigating six degree of freedom loading of shallow foundations on sand. Géotechnique. Vol. 56, No. 6, pp. 367-379.

 

19.    Vlahos, G., Cassidy, M.J., Byrne, B.W. (2006). The behaviour of spudcan footings on clay subjected to combined cyclic loading. Applied Ocean Research. Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 209-221.

 

20.    Bienen, B. and Cassidy, M.J. (2006). Advances in the three-dimensional fluid-structure-soil interaction analysis of offshore jack-up structures. Marine Structures, Vol. 19, No. 2-3, pp. 110-140.

 

21.    Cassidy, M.J., Randolph, M.F., Byrne, B.W.  (2006). A plasticity model describing caisson behaviour in clay. Applied Ocean Research. Vol. 28, No. 5, pp. 345-358.

 

22.    Cassidy, M.J. (2007). Experimental observations of the combined loading behaviour of circular footings on loose silica sand. Géotechnique. Vol. 57, No. 4, pp. 397-401.

 

23.    Bienen, B., Byrne, B.W., Houlsby, G.T., Cassidy, M.J. (2007). Reply to discussion on “Investigating six degree of freedom loading on shallow foundation on sand” by D.V. Morris, Géotechnique. Vol. 57, No. 5, pp.483-484.

 

24.    Cassidy, M.J., Quah, M., Foo, K.S. (2007). Experimental investigation of the reinstallation of mobile jack-up platforms close to existing footprints. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Submitted March 2006.

 

25.    Bienen, B., Gaudin, C., Cassidy, M.J. (2007). Centrifuge tests of shallow footing behaviour on sand under combined vertical torsional loading. Int. Journal of Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, Accepted 19 February 2007.

 

26.    Tian, Y. and Cassidy, M.J. (2007) Modelling of pipe-soil interaction and its application in numerical simulation. International Journal of Geomechanics, ASCE, submitted 22 December 2006.

 

27.    Teh, K.L., Cassidy, M.J., Leung, C.F., Chow, Y.K., Randolph, M.F. and Quah, M. (2007). Revealing the bearing failure mechanisms of a penetrating spudcan through sand overlaying clay. Géotechnique. Submitted 31 January 2007

 

28.    Cassidy, M.J., Uzielli, M. and Lacasse, S. (2007). Probability risk assessment of a land slide: A case study at Finneidfjord. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Submitted February 2007.

 

29.    Bienen, B., Cassidy, M.J., Gaudin, C. (2007). Physical modelling of a jack-up structure on sand in the geotechnical centrifuge. Submitted 28 May 2007.

 

30.    Bienen, B. and Cassidy, M.J. (2007). Retrospective analysis of jack-up beam centrifuge tests. Submitted 28 May 2007

 

Conference Papers

1.       Cassidy, M.J. (1998). Use of reliability methods for analysis of jack-up units. Proc. 5th BGS Young Geotechnical Engineers’ Conference, Newcastle, UK. 

 

2.       Cassidy, M.J. and Houlsby, G.T. (1999). On the modelling of foundations for jack-up units on sand, Proc. 31st Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, OTC 10995. 

 

3.       Cassidy, M.J., Houlsby, G.T., Eatock Taylor, R. (2001). Application of probabilistic models to the response analysis of jack-ups. Proc. 11th Int. Offshore and Polar Engng Conf., Stavanger, Norway, 2001-JSC-153, Vol. 1, pp. 106-113. 

 

4.       Tuty, S., Cassidy, M.J., Ronalds, B.F. (2001). Investigation of shallow water kinematics and local loading effects on reliability of minimum structures. Proc. 20th Int. Conf. on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE)., Rio de Janerio, Brazil , OMAE/S&R-2138.

 

5.       Vlahos, G., Martin, C.M., Cassidy, M.J. (2001). Experimental investigation of a model jack-up unit. Proc. 11th Int. Offshore and Polar Engng Conf., Stavanger, Norway, 2001-JSC-152, Vol. 1, pp. 97-105.

 

6.       Cassidy, M.J. (2001). Investigating spudcan and caisson foundation response in a drum centrifuge, Proc. of International Symposium on Geotechnical Centrifuge Modelling and Networking, Hong Kong, 8-9 December, pp. 8-10.

 

7.       Byrne, B. and Cassidy, M.J. (2002). Investigating the response of offshore foundations in soft clay soils. Proc. 21th Int. Conf. on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE)., Oslo, Norway, OMAE2002-28057.

 

8.       Cassidy, M.J., Houlsby, G.T., Hoyle, M., Marcom, M. (2002). Determining appropriate stiffness levels for spudcan foundations using jack-up case records. Proc. 21th Int. Conf. on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE)., Oslo, Norway, OMAE2002-28085.

 

9.       Cassidy, M.J. and Bienen, B. (2002). Three-dimensional numerical analysis of jack-up structures on sand. Proc. 12th Int. Offshore and Polar Engng Conf., Kitakyushu, Japan, Vol. 2, pp. 807-814.rking, Hong Kong, 8-9 December, pp. 8-10.

 

10.    Cassidy, M.J., Martin, C.M., Houlsby, G.T. (2003). Development and application of force resultant models describing jack-up foundation behaviour. Proc. 9th Int. Conf. Jack-Up Platform Design, Construction and Operation, City University, London, UK.

 

11.    Poon M.S., Cassidy M.J., Airey D.W. & Carter J.P. (2004). The behaviour of circular footings on silica sand subjected to inclined load. Proc. 9th ANZ Conference on Geomechanics, Auckland, New Zealand, Vol 2. pp. 569-575.

 

12.    Pinna, R. and Cassidy, M.J. (2004). Dynamic analysis of a monopod platform using constrained NewWave. Proc. 23rd Int. Conf. on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE)., Vancouver, Canada, OMAE2004-51158.

 

13.    O’Neill, L., Fakas, E., Cassidy, M.J. (2004). A novel application of constrained NewWave theory for floatover deck installations. Proc. 23rd Int. Conf. on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE)., Vancouver, Canada, OMAE2004-51099.

 

14.    Vlahos, G and Cassidy, M.J. (2004). Model jack-up tests on clay soil. Int. Conf. on Structural and Foundation Failures. Singapore, pp. 545-558.

 

15.    Cassidy, M.J. (2004). The use of force-resultant models of shallow foundations in offshore applications. Proc. of 6th World Congress on Computational Mechanics (WCCM VI in conjunction with APCOM’04), Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag, Sept. 5-10, Beijing, China.

 

16.    Bienen, B. and Cassidy, M.J. (2004). Three-dimensional analysis of jack-up structures. Developments in Mechanics of Structures and Materials: Proc. 18th Australasian Conf. on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials., A.A. Balkema, Perth, Australia, Vol. 1, pp. 345-351.

 

17.    Randolph, M.F., Cassidy, M.J., Gourvenec, S. and Erbrich, C. (2005). The Challenges of Offshore Geotechnical Engineering. Invited State of the Art Report, 16th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE). Osaka, Japan. Osaka, Japan, pp. 123-176.

 

18.    Bienen, B. and Cassidy, M.J. (2005). Simulation of soil-structure-fluid interaction of jack-up structures. Proc. 11th Int. Conf. of International Association of Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG), Turin, Italy, Vol. 3, pp. 603-610.

 

19.    Vlahos, G., Cassidy, M.J. and Knowles, B. (2005). A comparative assessment of the use of spudcans and caissons as the foundations of jack-up structures. Proc. 24th Int. Conf. on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE)., Halkidiki, Greece, OMAE2005-67090.

 

20.    Govoni, L., Gourvenec, S., Gottardi, G., Cassidy, M.J. (2006). Drum centrifuge tests of surface and embedded footings on sand. Proc. 6th Int. Conf. on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics. Hong Kong. Taylor & Francis, Ng, Zhang, Wang (eds.), Vol. 1,  pp 651-657.

 

21.    Bienen, B., Cassidy, M.J., Byron-Brown, J. and Byrne, B.W. (2006). Three-dimensional modelling of offshore jack-up structures: An experimentally based research strategy. Proc. 6th Int. Conf. on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics, Taylor & Francis, Ng, Zhang, Wang (eds.), Hong Kong, Vol. 1, pp.617-623.

 

22.    Teh, K.L., Cassidy, M.J., Chow, Y.K., Leung, C.F. (2006). Effects of scale and progressive failure on spudcan ultimate bearing capacity in sand. Proc. Int. Symp. On Ultimate Limit States of Geotechnical Structures (ELU-ULS, Géotechnique). Marne-la-Vallee, France, pp. 481-489.

 

23.    Govoni, L., Gottardi, G., Gourvenec, S., Cassidy, M.J. (2006): Modellazione in centrifuga di fondazioni superficiali su sabbia, Atti del V Convegno Nazionale dei Ricercatori di Ingegneria Geotecnica (Proceedings of the 5th National Symposium of Researchers of Geotechnical Engineering on Shallow and Deep Foundations), Politecnico di Bari, 15-16 September, Vol. 1, pp. 163-175.  (In Italian)

 

24.    Teh, K.L., Chow, Y.K., Leung, C.F., Cassidy, M.J., Foo, K.S  (2007). Miniature penetrometers responses in sand overlaying clay. Proc. 16th Southeast Asia Geotechnical Conference, Malaysia. (accepted, in press for May 2007)

 

25.    Gaudin, C., Cassidy, M.J., Donovan, T. (2007).  Spudcan installation near existing footprints. 6th International Conference on Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics, London, UK. (Accpeted May 2007).

 

26.    Cassidy, M.J. (2007). Deriving appropriate stiffness levels for spudcan foundations. Proc 11th Int. Conf. on Jack-up Platform Design, Construction and Operation, City University, London, UK (abstract sent 6 June 2007).

 

27.    Hodder, M. and Cassidy, M.J. (2008). Undrained response of pipelines subjected to combined vertical and lateral loading. Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. on Foundations ICOF2008. (abstract sent 6 June 2007).

 

28.    Bienen, B., Byrne, B.W., Houlsby, G.T. and Cassidy, M.J. 3D analyses of a jack-up and its foundations. Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. on Foundations ICOF2008. (abstract sent 10 June 2007).

 

Reports

1.       Houlsby, G.T., Byrne, B.W., Cassidy, M.J., Mangal, J.K., Martin, C.M. (1999). Research on offshore foundations: Papers at the Offshore Technology Conference 1999. OUEL Report No. 2197/99, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford.

 

2.       Cassidy, M.J., Eatock Taylor, R., Houlsby, G.T. (2000). Analysis of jack-up units using a constrained NewWave methodology.  OUEL Report No. 2224/00, Department of Engineering Science, The University of Oxford.

 

3.       Cassidy, M.J. and Byrne, B.W. (2001). Drum centrifuge model tests comparing the performance of spudcans and caissons in kaolin clay. Geo: 01259, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia. (also OUEL Report No. 2248/01, Department of Engineering Science, The University of Oxford.)

 

4.       Randolph, M.F. and Cassidy, M.J. (2002). Modelling of spudcan and suction caisson performance. Geo:02285, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia (Woodside Energy Limited: Po. No. 7500011421, Progress Report #2).

 

5.       Cassidy, M.J., Vlahos, G. and Hodder, M. (2003). Push-over experiments of a model jack-up unit in dense silica sand. Geo:03291, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia.

 

6.       Cassidy, M.J. (2003). Centrifuge experiments investigating the reinstallation of spudcans close to existing footprints. Geo:03296, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia.

 

7.       Cassidy, M.J. (2003). Study of the effect spudcan configuration has on the degree of foundation fixity and push-over capacity. Geo:03300, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia.

 

8.       Cassidy, M.J. (2003). Drum centrifuge model tests comparing the performance of spudcans and caissons in calcareous silt. Geo:03306, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia.

 

9.       Randolph, M.F. and Cassidy, M.J. (2004). Modelling of spudcan and suction caisson performance. Geo:04314, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia (Woodside Energy Limited: Po. No. 7500011421, Final Report).

 

10.    Govoni, L., Gourvenec, S., Cassidy, M.J. (2005). Drum centrifuge model tests of circular footings on silica sand. Geo: 05356, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia.

 

11.    Brennan, A.J. and Cassidy, M.J. (2005). Centrifuge tests of on-bottom pipelines on silica sand. Geo: 05365, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia.

 

12.    Gaudin, C., Brown, T.A., Hodder, M., Cassidy, M.J. (2006). Centrifuge experiments investigating use of jetting in spudcan extraction: testing specification report to Keppel Offshore and Maritime Limited. Geo: 06384, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia.

 

13.    Cassidy, M.J., Gauer, P., Cleave, R., Langford, T. (2006). Greater Plutonio pipe model testing: interpretation of longitudinal pipe-soil model tests. Norwegian Geotechnical Institute report No. 20051088-3.

 

14.    Gaudin, C. and Cassidy, M.J. (2007). Feasibility and performance of a hybrid foundation system (stage 1): testing specification report to Keppel Offshore and Maritime Limited. Geo: 07401, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of Western Australia.