Numerical and experimental study of mechanical behavior of shared anchor foundation under multidirectional load

PhD student

Bin Yan

Supervisors

Prof Yinghui Tian	Prof Guanlin Ye Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Dr Yifa Wang

Project Start Date: June 2021

Project Details

The consideration of shared anchor foundations as an alternative for offshore wind turbine (OWT) installations is increasingly gaining attention. These foundations enable the connection of multiple floating structures to a single foundation, resulting in a reduced overall number of foundations and, consequently, decreased construction costs. Shared anchor foundations, subjected to multi-directional cyclic loads, exhibit more complex stress-deformation mechanisms. The variations in foundation bearing capacity and associated factors necessitate thorough exploration and investigation.

In this project, caisson foundations will be used as an example of shared anchor foundations to comprehensively understand the loads endured by such foundations. A new constitutive model is proposed and employed in numerical simulations. Through an integrated research approach combining numerical simulations and model experiments, the project aims to explore the mechanical response of shared anchor foundations under multi-directional loads and establish a framework for assessing their deformation and bearing capacity. The ultimate goal is to pave the way for the future deployment of shared anchor foundations in large-scale wind farms.