Centrifuge modelling of wind turbine foundation slabs under long-term lateral cyclic loading




Centrifuge modelling of wind turbine foundation slabs under long-term lateral cyclic loading


This paper presents a series of experiments examining the behaviour of shallow foundations under long-term lateral cyclic loading in dry sand, relevant to wind turbine applications. A series of 2D plane-strain tests are compared with equivalent 3D geometries where such insights are unavailable. Various foundation geometries and embedment depths are explored, with particular emphasis on a lightweight embedded ring footing proposed as a sustainable alternative to traditional shallow foundations, offering both environmental and financial advantages. Dimensionless parameters for moment, load, settlement, and embedment are introduced to facilitate standardized comparison across tests. The study reveals that, while strip footings demonstrate a higher ultimate capacity compared to circular footings, they also exhibit greater displacement accumulation under long-term cyclic lateral loads.



Chisom Ifeobu; C. N. Abadie; Stuart K. Haigh


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



Onshore and offshore foundation systems



https://doi.org/10.53243/ECPMG2024-143