Ken Vinck

Advanced laboratory testing to enable sustainable and cost-effective offshore wind-turbine design

Started: October 2016

Supervisor: Professor Richard Jardine

Industry Partner: DEME

Description of Research

The rapid development of offshore wind generating capacity is central to the UK’s and Northern Europe’s drive to generate more sustainable and renewable energy. Developing safe and cost-effective foundation solutions is one of the most significant civil engineering challenges posed by the offshore wind industry. Considerable investments have been made in conducting large scale experiments at four field test sites. This PhD research will involve advanced laboratory testing performed on samples from these sites, focusing on investigating the geomaterials’ anisotropy and cyclic loading responses. The first research goal is to carry out a comprehensive programme of cyclic experiments to help interpret the PISA field experiments and advance cyclic foundation design. The second goal is to conduct tests on chalk samples to answer key questions about the de-structuration, ageing and cyclic loading behaviour observed in field pile tests.