Numerical modelling of a vibratory installed large-scale monopile test in sand

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In order to achieve the European Union's climate policy goal of a 40 % share of energy from renewable sources, a further significant expansion of the wind energy sector appears necessary. Here, one of the industry's goal is to further optimise the design and installation process of on- and offshore windfarms. For latter, the use of vibratory pile drivers as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective installation method has been investigated for several years. However, the installation process of such piles depends on the operational parameters and influences the surrounding soil. These so-called installation effects need to be considered when designing the pile-soil interaction. Considering these effects in the design process of vibratory-driven Monopiles appears challenging, as there are currently no general prediction approaches available due to lack of real or large-scale test data. As a result, piles are often only partially vibratory installed, like at Riffgat. To tackle this, Fraunhofer IWES investigates the influence of the pile installation technique on load bearing behaviour of monopiles by means of large-scale testing and numerical simulations within the research project VIPile. In this contribution a brief summary regarding monopile installation techniques is given. In the following a numerical model approach to take installation effects into account is presented. Its results are then evaluated by means of large-scale test results. Finally, the findings are discussed and conclusions regarding the consideration of installation effects and future work are drawn.

5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics (ISFOG2025)

6 - Pile Installation Challenges and Decommissioning in sands and clays: monopiles, anchor piles, pin piles