Alternative Shape of Suction Caisson to Reduce Risk of Buckling under high Pressure

Søren Madsen, Lars Vabbersgaard Andersen, Lars Bo Ibsen

Research output: Contribution to book/anthology/report/conference proceedingArticle in proceedingResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Using large suction caissons for offshore wind turbines is an upcoming technology also referred to as bucket foundations. During operation the bucket foundation is loaded by a large overturning moment from the wind turbine and the wave loads. However, during installation the bucket is loaded by uniform external pressure and vertical forces. The bucket foundation does not require heavy installation equipment, but since it is constructed as a thin steel shell structure, instability, in the form of buckling, becomes a crucial issue during installation. Typically, the bucket foundation is a large cylindrical monopod foundation made of steel. In this paper, an alternative design/shape of the suction caisson, having a smaller risk of buckling under high pressure is presented. The risk of structural buckling is addressed using numerical methods to determine the buckling pressures of the re-designed bucket foundation during installation. Further, the effect of the lateral restraint offered by the surrounding soil on the buckling pressures is analysed. It is found that the new design enables a significantly larger buckling load compared to the traditional design.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationResearch and Applications in Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation : proceedings of the fifth international conference on structural engineering, mechanics and computation, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-4 September 2013
EditorsAlphose Zingoni
Number of pages6
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherCRC Press
Publication date2013
Pages2515-2520
ISBN (Print)978-1-138-00061-2 (Hardback + CD-ROM)
ISBN (Electronic)978-1-315-85078-8 (eBook)
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013
EventThe International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation - University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Duration: 2 Sept 20134 Sept 2013
Conference number: 5

Conference

ConferenceThe International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation
Number5
LocationUniversity of Cape Town
Country/TerritorySouth Africa
CityCape Town
Period02/09/201304/09/2013

Bibliographical note

Extended abstract printet in Hardback pp. 903-904

Keywords

  • Bucket Foundations
  • Design
  • Suction Caisson
  • Buckling

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