Cyclic Behaviour of Monopiles in Clay: Preliminary Insights from the MIDASclay Project
Cyclic Behaviour of Monopiles in Clay: Preliminary Insights from the MIDASclay Project
The expansion of offshore wind energy requires monopile foundations in varied seabed conditions. The MIDASclay project investigates the cyclic behaviour of monopiles in cohesive soils through a combined experimental and numerical research programme. Laboratory testing provides cyclic characterisation of clay and informs a centrifuge campaign in which monopiles are subjected to cyclic lateral loading. Instrumentation of the monopile and soil bed enables the assessment of stiffness evolution, rotation accumulation, and pore pressure response. Preliminary results show pronounced rate effects, with higher loading frequencies leading to a stiffer response and reduced monopile ratcheting rates.
Evangelos Kementzetzidis; Cihan Cengiz; Huan Wang; Wenbo Xie; Rob Zwaan; Astha Sharma; M. Konstantinou; F. Pisano; Hans Petter Jostad; Georgios Christopoulos; Debasis Mohapatra
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Session 6: Onshore and offshore foundation systems
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-399