Experimental study on lateral pile–soil interaction of offshore tetrapod piled jacket foundations in sand

Abstract

Recently, tetrapod piled jacket (TPJ) foundations have shown considerable promise in offshore developments, due to the increases in power capacity and water depth for offshore wind turbines. This paper presents a set of centrifuge tests to look into the lateral loading behaviour of TPJ foundations in sand, with the overall load–displacement responses of the foundation as well as the soil resistance and internal forces on or within individual piles being examined carefully. Test results show that the back-row piles are more likely to be pulled out when the TPJ foundation is loaded laterally along the diagonal direction compared to when loaded along the orthogonal direction. The lateral soil resistance per unit length on the back-row pile(s) is approximately 60% of that on the front-row one(s) in the orthogonal loading case, and only about 40% in the diagonal loading case. Moreover, although the TPJ foundation is in its form a special case of pile groups, it is highlighted in the present study that the former case exhibits distinct loading behaviour from the latter case due to the typically large overturning moment encountered by the foundations for offshore wind turbines. Finally, the p-multipliers of the piles are demonstrated to be dependent on pile deflections, but independent on soil depths, and as a result, a modified pm model is proposed to provide guidance for the design of TPJ foundations in sand.