Centrifuge modelling of cyclic multidirectional loading of suction anchors in clay for floating wind arrays
Centrifuge modelling of cyclic multidirectional loading of suction anchors in clay for floating wind arrays
Given the wind energy potential in deeper coastal waters, offshore wind development is expected to expand from primarily fixed-bottom foundation technology to include floating wind turbine platforms. While floating wind is technically feasible, its cost remains prohibitively high, with mooring and anchorage systems constituting a significant proportion of the overall expense. Sharing anchors among multiple floating platforms in an array can reduce these costs, but it also introduces complex multidirectional loading, under which the performance of many anchors remains uncertain. This study investigates the capacity of shared suction caisson anchors using centrifuge modelling of a wished-in-place anchor in normally to over-consolidated kaolin clay. Monotonic and cyclic load cases were investigated using a single-mooring configuration to understand baseline performance, where the average and cyclic load directions are collinear. Multidirectional loading was then assessed using a dual-mooring configuration to evaluate the effects of misalignment between the average and cyclic load directions. The results reveal similar cyclic hardening under both multidirectional and collinear conditions for the investigated system under the applied loads. This study provides experimental insights into the behaviour of suction anchors in clay subjected to multidirectional cyclic loading and should facilitate future research on the subject.
Christopher O'Donovan; Mike Long; Chuangxin Lyu; Ludvig Arentz-Hansen; Ingerid Rolstad Jahren; Ingrid Ishaug Liplass; Erik Ravik Sorlie; Liam Jones; Ralf Herzog; Alexandru Marin; I. Anastasopoulos
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 1: Physical modelling – from Practice/Industry to Academia
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-261