Experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of vertical loading on the lateral behaviour of monopiles in sand

The influence of combined loading on the response of monopiles used to support offshore wind turbines (OWTs) is investigated in this paper. In current practice, resistance of monopiles to vertical and lateral loading is considered separately. As OWT size has increased, the slenderness ratio (pile length, L, normalised by diameter, D) has...

Impact of scour on lateral resistance of wind turbine monopiles: An experimental study

The majority of offshore wind structures are supported on large-diameter, rigid monopile foundations. These piles may be subjected to scour due to the waves and currents that causes a loss of soil support and consequently decreases the pile capacity and system stiffness. The results of numerical models suggest that the shape of the scour hole...

Response of monopiles subjected to combined vertical and lateral loads, lateral cyclic load, and scour erosion in sand

Although wind energy capacity has increased significantly in the last few decades, the installed capacity of offshore wind turbine still lags far behind that of onshore wind turbines due to the installation and foundation cost. The aim of this research project has been to clarify the influence of combined vertical and lateral loads, lateral...

Centrifuge modeling of the impact of local and global scour erosion on the monotonic lateral response of a monopile in sand

The majority of offshore wind turbines are founded on large-diameter, open-ended steel monopiles. Monopiles must resist lateral loads and overturning moments because of environmental (wind and wave) actions, whereas vertical loads tend to be comparatively small. Recent developments in turbine sizes and increases in hub heights have resulted...

Influence of vertical loading on behavior of laterally loaded foundation piles: A review

The majority of installed offshore wind turbines are supported on large-diameter, open-ended steel pile foundations, known as monopiles. These piles are subjected to vertical and lateral loads while in service. In current design practice, interaction of vertical and lateral loads are not considered, rather piles are designed to resist...

Centrifuge benchmark testing of laterally loaded monopiles in sand

The large diameter monopile is a commonly used foundation concept for offshore wind turbines. The advantages of geometrical simplicity and reliable performance make it often the most attractive solution. Despite the concept’s high popularity, optimisation of the current design models can still be made. To address fundamental understanding of...

Influence of scour depth and type on p–y curves for monopiles in sand under monotonic lateral loading in a geotechnical centrifuge

The influence of scour on the lateral response of monopile foundations for offshore wind turbines is investigated in this paper. Application of lateral load-displacement (p-y) curves to predict the lateral pile behaviour is subject to uncertainty as many of the presently used design approaches have been derived for long, slender piles. These...