Centrifuge investigation of impact-driven laterally loaded monopiles in uncemented carbonate sand
Centrifuge investigation of impact-driven laterally loaded monopiles in uncemented carbonate sand
Monopile foundations in Australian waters will likely be installed in seabed conditions dominated by carbonate sediments. Unlike siliceous sands, carbonate sands are highly crushable and compressible, which can lead to significant changes in grain size distribution due to particle breakage occurring during installation and potentially under cyclic loading. These characteristics affect strength, stiffness, and long-term displacement behaviour, presenting challenges for reliable foundation design. This study presents results of centrifuge tests comparing impact-driven (ID) and wished-in-place (WIP) monopiles subjected to lateral loading, carried out without stopping the centrifuge. The monopiles were installed in reconstituted uncemented carbonate sand samples. Preliminary results indicate generally similar trends compared with laterally loaded monopiles in siliceous sands, including clear differences in stiffness and capacity due to the installation process. Future work will expand the parametric space through numerical studies to further improve predictive tools for monopile performance in carbonate sediments.
Lilli Feske; B. Bienen; Mark Randolph
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 3: Physical Modelling of Installation of Fixed OWT Foundations
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-94