Centrifuge modelling of the loading capacity of suction anchors in soft clay: towards multidirectional load

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4. Centrifuge modelling of the loading capacity of suction anchors in soft clay: towards multidirectional load

ABSTRACT:  In the framework of the development of solutions for the installation of wind farms in offshore locations, floating wind turbines are an attractive solution to access strong and stable wind conditions. This type of solution faces several challenges, including the mooring and anchoring costs. Anchor sharing is a means to optimize costs for potential wind farms based on floating platforms, as it implies a reduced number of anchors installed, less installation time and a reduced pressure on the supply chain. Recent research efforts on this topic have treated the problem in sandy soil profiles. ShareWind project aims at studying the loading capacity of suction anchors installed in soft clay seabed profiles and subjected to multidirectional loading. This paper introduces the initial development of the project, which involves a series of monotonic unidirectional loading tests conducted at the geotechnical centrifuge of Université Gustave Eiffel in France. The tests consisted of loading three suction anchors installed in kaolin clay, two anchors subjected to lateral load and one anchor to pullout load, to establish a baseline of monotonic loading capacities. Drawing from the insights gained in this inaugural experimental campaign, this paper outlines the proposed experimental setup and loading sequence for transitioning towards multidirectional loading conditions.

5th European Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ECPMG2024)

Onshore and offshore foundation systems