Performance of the BLUE blow generator for centrifuge modelling at Delft University of Technology (DUT)




Performance of the BLUE blow generator for centrifuge modelling at Delft University of Technology (DUT)


Generally, monopiles are installed dynamically by large hydraulic hammers. Although this method is reliable, tightening environmental regulations make it increasingly harder to operate this hardware without the need for sound mitigation measures. To safeguard the economic viability of offshore projects, the industry is seeking alternative ways of monopile installation. Impact prolongation is a promising method to reduce the environmental impact of pile installation. Several technologies have been proposed that leverage this principle. Due to the longer impulse duration, pile stresses change more gradually, leading to lower noise levels. Additionally, longer impulses may help reduce fatigue accumulation during installation by lowering the stress amplitude and reducing the number of stress cycles experienced. However, to facilitate industrial adoption, the foundation soil-structure interaction during installation and its implications on operational performance should be understood. Therefore, a small-scale blow generator for centrifuge testing is developed. This paper describes the observations from a test involving this actuator, executed at a g-level of 50g. The associated measurements focus on the blow impact dynamics, these include the duration, forces, and accelerations, as well as the pile frequency attenuation spectrum. The experiments are conducted in a water saturated GEBA sand sample, prepared at a relative density of 80%. This work contributes to the understanding of dynamic soil-structure interaction and its effect on pile behaviour, during and post-installation. Ultimately, this work should help facilitate the adoption of innovative installation technologies by the offshore industry.



T. Quinten; Christina Ioannou; Miguel Angel Cabrera; Amin Askarinejad; J. van Wijk; Kenneth G. Gavin


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



New facilities, new equipment, measuring techniques



https://doi.org/10.53243/ECPMG2024-137