Numerical Investigation of Scour Effects on Offshore Wind Turbine Monopile Foundations under Static and Cyclic Loading
Numerical Investigation of Scour Effects on Offshore Wind Turbine Monopile Foundations under Static and Cyclic Loading
Scour around the monopile foundations of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) has emerged as a critical design and maintenance concern due to its significant influence on structural performance and long-term stability. This study investigates the influence of scour on the behavior of monopile foundations through three-dimensional finite element (FE) analyses conducted in PLAXIS 3D using the UBC3D-PLM constitutive model. The numerical model employed herein was previously validated against laboratory experiments reported in an earlier study by the third author, ensuring its reliability. The analyses encompass both static and cyclic loading conditions, simulating the combined effects of wind and wave-induced cyclic loads typically acting on offshore wind turbines. The reference monopile represents a large diameter XL monopile with a diameter of D = 9 m and an embedded length of L = 50 m. Following static loading, cyclic loading was applied up to N = 5 cycles to capture the cyclic degradation response. A parametric study was performed by varying scour width and depth to represent different scour slope geometries, allowing for systematic evaluation of how key scour parameters influence foundation response. The primary objective is to assess the initial degradation of lateral stiffness and displacement behavior as a function of scour geometry, thereby addressing a current research gap concerning monopile foundations under cyclic loading. Results are presented in a form to elucidate the effects of scour on monopile response and to provide practical insights for the design and maintenance of OWT monopile foundations subjected to scour-induced degradation.
Oytun Oecal; Volkan ISBUGA; Cihan Taylan Akdag
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 5: Combination of numerical and physical modelling
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-449