Sensitivity of the seismic response of monopile-supported offshore wind turbines to soil variability

The expansion of the offshore wind industry in areas with high seismicity has led to engineering challenges related to the design of the offshore wind turbines (OWTs). Monopiles, i.e., tubular steel piles of large outer diameter, low aspect ratio (penetration depth over outer diameter), and relatively thin pile wall, are traditionally the...

Validation and Application of A New Software Tool Implementing the PISA Design Methodology

The PISA (Pile Soil Analysis) research project has resulted in a new methodology for the design of offshore wind turbine monopile foundations. A new software tool called PLAXIS Monopile Designer (MoDeTo) has been developed that automates the PISA design methodology. It facilitates the calibration of the so-called soil reaction curves by...

Comparative Concept Design Study of Laterally Loaded Monopiles

Offshore wind turbine generators (WTG) are commonly founded on single large diameter piles, named monopiles. These monopiles are subjected to significant lateral loads and thereby sizeable overturning bending moments mainly due to action of wind and wave forces; thus the critical geotechnical design situation for monopiles supporting WTGs is...

Comparative Concept Design Study of Laterally Loaded Monopiles

Design of laterally-loaded monopiles in layered soils

This paper describes an implementation of the methodology, developed in Phase 2 the recent PISA (PIle Soil Analysis) joint industry research project, for the design of laterally-loaded monopiles in layered soils. The software PLAXIS MoDeTo and PLAXIS 3D are employed to obtain the soil reaction curves that are required for the method, following...

A Constitutive Model For Masonry Structures: Practical Application Under Earthquake Loading In Groningen

In this paper, a constitutive model for masonry structures is presented. It is based on the Jointed Rock (JR) model with overall Mohr-Coulomb (MC) failure criterion, and it is implemented as a user-defined soil model in the finite element<br/>code PLAXIS. The Masonry model is a linear elastic-perfectly plastic model capable of simulating the...

Application of the PISA framework to the design of offshore wind turbine monopile foundations

The recently-completed PISA (PIle Soil Analysis) research project aimed to improve the design of monopile foundations for offshore wind turbines (OWT), focusing on laterally-loaded monopiles with length-to-diameter (L/D) ratios between 2 and 6. The project resulted in a novel one-dimensional (1D) design model which overcomes certain limitations...

Application of the PISA framework to the design of offshore wind turbine monopile foundations

A practical study on the induced seismicity in Groningen and the seismic response of a masonry structure

In this paper the man-induced earthquakes in Groningen (the Netherlands) are studied in terms of site response analyses and liquefaction evaluation. A particular soil profile in Loppersum is employed and soil properties are determined based on available geotechnical data. Clayey soil layers are modelled by means of the Generalised Hardening Soil...