Definition(s)
Preloading
Installation of the spudcans by vertical loading of the soil beneath a jack-up leg spudcan with the objective of ensuring sufficient foundation capacity under assessment situations through to the time when the maximum load is applied and held. NOTE Whilst three-legged jack-ups preload by taking water ballast on board, jack-ups with four or more legs typically achieve foundation preload by carrying the hull weight on pairs of legs in turn. This procedure is known as pre-driving and generally does not require the addition of water ballast. For the purposes of this part of ISO 19905, no distinction is made between preload and pre-drive.
Source: ISO 19905-1:202, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Site-specific assessment of mobile offshore units – Part 1: Jack-ups. Global Standards