DSS tests on marine clays for offshore windfarm foundation design

Abstract

This technical note presents results of a series of monotonic and cyclic DSS laboratory tests performed on five intact marine clays offshore China. The laboratory program aimed to determine the cyclic shear strength and soil deformation properties for offshore foundation design. Various cyclic contour diagrams are provided, including cyclic shear strength and average and cyclic shear strains for different number of cycles. Results of the five clays are discussed and compared with an existing database on static and cyclic strengths of clays. In general, the test data fits well with the database and OCR plays an important role in the cyclic behaviour of the marine clays. The provided cyclic strength parameters for the tested clays can be used as references for similar clays offshore. The purpose of this study is to provide a realistic reference for research and practice offshore China where very few cyclic test results are available for offshore wind energy industry.