Site investigation and foundation design in glauconitic soils
Site investigation and foundation design in glauconitic soils
With a large increase in the development of offshore wind on the US east coast, the presence of glauconitic soils has been identified at several wind farms. Glauconite particles can break down under loading, for instance during foundation installation, which gives challenges for both driveability and in-place performance. The impact of glauconite on foundation design depends on the glauconite prevalence and depositional history, as well as the host material in which the glauconite is found. This paper presents an overview of various types of glauconitic soils encountered at several offshore wind farm sites, with a focus on the different characteristics and the implications for site investigation and geotechnical interpretation strategy and foundation design impact. It is demonstrated that a wide range of materials can be described as glauconitic soils, and that different analysis methods are required for foundation design in these materials. Hence, while glauconite is found at many US east coast sites, the implications for design can be highly variable and will depend on the characteristics of the glauconite.
Marijn Dekker; Simone Schmieder; Emil R. Ushev
5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics (ISFOG2025)
7 - Pile design and installation in challenging soil conditions: glauconite, carbonated soils, cemented soils, gravels and rocks
https://doi.org/10.53243/ISFOG2025-387
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