Abstract
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 vertical and lateral loads independently. Whilst interaction effects are widely studied for shallow foundations, the limited research on this topic for pile foundations often produces conflicting results. This paper reviews the research of the influence of vertical loading on the lateral response of pile foundations under combined loads, from the perspective of analytical research, numerical research, and experimental research from tests performed on 1-g (gravitational acceleration) model, centrifuge, and full-scale piles. The potential reasons for the differences among the results of previous research are discussed. Some guidance for future research on the effect of vertical loads on the lateral response of piles is provided.
Highlights
The offshore wind sector has experienced significant growth in recent years driven largely by development and innovation in turbine capacity
Over 87% of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are founded on single, large diameter piles known as monopiles, which currently have typically diameters, D in the range 4–6 m, and embedded lengths, L between 20 m and 30 m [2,3]
This paper reviewed literature that investigates the influence of vertical loading on the lateral response of piles, where authors undertook analytical research, numerical modeling, full-scale and laboratory-scale physical testing, and centrifuge modeling
Summary
The offshore wind sector has experienced significant growth in recent years driven largely by development and innovation in turbine capacity. The industry is seen as one of the most proven ways for society to transition away from carbon to renewable energy sources. The European Green Deal [1] sets an ambitious target of achieving a carbon-neutral continent by 2050 and offshore wind developments are currently the leading technology to assist in achieving this aim. Offshore wind already supplies over 11% of Europe’s energy demand [2], with projections this will increase to 30% or more by 2030. Turbine technology has been developing at a rapid pace, and many near shore sites have been exploited to date. Future developments are looking towards far offshore deeper water sites, which require significant engineering advances to overcome the novel challenges
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