• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.245-253
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• 2020

In this study, natural frequencies are compared using several pile-soil interaction (PSI) models to evaluate the effects of each model on resonance safety checks for a monopile type of wind turbine structure. Base spring, distributed spring, and three-dimensional brick-shell models represented the PSIs in the finite element model. To analyze the effects of the PSI models on a natural frequency, after a stiffness matrix calculation and Winkler-based beam model for base spring and distributed spring models were presented, respectively; natural frequencies from these models were investigated for monopiles with different geometries and soil properties. These results were compared with those from the brick-shell model. The results show that differences in the first natural frequency of the monopiles from each model are small when the small diameter of monopile penetrates hard soil and rock, while the distributed spring model can over-estimate the natural frequency for large monopiles installed in weak soil. Thus, an appropriate PSI model for natural frequency analyses should be adopted by considering soil conditions and structure scale.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.57-69
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• 2001

Sand pile is widely used as a ground improvement method. Although the primary purpose of constructing sand pile is accelerating consolidation, composite ground effect also can be gained by constructing sand pile. This study was accomplished to understand composite ground effect on the ground improved by sand piles which were applied as vertical drainage material when area replacement ratio was small relatively. For determining bearing capacities of origin ground and sand piles and analysing interaction between embankment and origin ground, bearing tests and earth pressure monitoring are performed. From the results, it turned out that the contribution of sand pile as a load bearing mechanism is not substantial. However, the bearing capacity of sand pile was increased to sixty percentages when compared with origin ground. The increasement of bearing capacity could be caused the change of consolidation characteristics during the process of consolidation by overburden load. Therefore, the composite ground effects depending on stiffness increasement of sand pile would be estimated as a factor decreasing consolidation settlement.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.47-58
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• 2014

This study explores methods for modeling the foundation-seabed interaction needed for the load analysis of an offshore wind energy system. It comprises the comparison study of foundation design load analyses for NREL 5 MW turbine according to various soil-foundation interaction models by conducting the load analysis with GH-Bladed, analysis software for offshore wind energy systems. Furthermore, the results of the aforementioned load analysis were applied to foundation analysis software called L-Pile to conduct a safety review of the foundation cross-section design. Differences in the cross-section of a monopile foundation were observed based on the results of the fixed model, winkler spring and coupled spring models, and the analysis of design load cases, including DLC 1.3, DLC 6.1a, and DLC 6.2a. Consequently, under all design load conditions, the diameter and thickness of the monopile foundation cross-section were found to be 7 m and 80 mm, respectively, using the fixed and coupled spring models; the results of the analysis conducted using the winkler spring model showed that the diameter and thickness of the monopile foundation cross-section were 5 m and 60 mm, respectively. The study found that the soil-foundation interaction modeling method had a significant impact on the load analysis results, which determined the cross-section of a foundation. Based on this study, it is anticipated that designing an offshore wind energy system foundation taking the above impact into account would reduce the possibility of a conservative or unconservative design of the foundation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.222-231
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• 2016

Multi-member lattice-type structures including jackets and tripods are being considered as good alternatives to monopile foundations for relatively deep water of 25-50 m of water depth owing to their technical and economic feasibility. In this study, the reliability analysis of bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines with monopile and/or multi-member lattice-type foundations is carried out and the sensitivities of random variables such as material properties, external wind loadings and scouring depth are compared with respect to different types of foundations. Numerical analysis of the NREL 5 MW wind turbine supported by monopile, tripod and jacket substructures shows that the uncertainties of soil properties affect the reliability index more significantly for the monopile-supported OWTs while the reliability index is not so sensitive to the material properties in the cases of tripod- and jacket-supported OWTs. In conclusion, the reliability analysis can be preliminarily carried out without considering soil-pile-interaction in the cases of tripod- and jacket-supported OWTs while it is very important to use the well-measured soil properties for reliable design of monopile-supported OWTs.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.103-116
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• 2014

This paper presents the results of a numerical investigation on the load carrying capacity and consolidation behavior of suction piles. Three dimensional numerical models which reflect realistic ground conditions and installation procedures including the ground-suction pile interface were adopted to conduct a parametric study on variables such as the length-diameter ratio and the loading configurations, i.e, vertical, horizontal, and combined loads. The results indicated that the load carrying capacity of a suction pile can only be realistically obtained when the interface behavior between the suction pile and the ground is correctly modeled. Also carried out was the stress-pore pressure coupled analysis to investigate the consolidation behavior of the suction pile after the application of a vertical loading. Based on the results, failure envelops and associated equations were developed, which can be used to estimate load carrying capacity of suction piles installed in similar conditions considered in this study. The results of consolidation analysis based on the stress-pore pressure coupled analysis indicate that no significant excess pore pressure and associated consolidation settlement occur for the loading configuration considered in part due to the load transfer mechanism of the suction pile.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.343-350
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• 2015

Extensive discussion on the optimal types of offshore wind turbine(OWT) among monopile, tripod and jacket in the intermediate depth of water has been actively carried out in worldwide wind turbine industry. Selecting the optimal types of OWT among several substructural types, it is required to consider the economic and technical feasibility including dynamically stable design of a wind turbine system. In this study, the effects of loading levels and uncertainties of soil properties on the natural frequency of OWT have been quantitatively investigated. In conclusion, the natural frequency of monopile-type OWTs has a significant level of uncertainty, hence it is very important to minimize the level of uncertainties in soil properties when the monopile is selected as a foundation for an OWT.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.4A
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• pp.361-373
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• 2010

Bridges constructed without any expansion joint or bridge bearing are called integral abutment bridges. They integrate the substructure and the superstructure. Possible deformation of the superstructure, due to changes in temperature for example, is prevented by the bending of the piles placed at the lower part of the abutment. This study examines the behavior of integral abutment bridges through soil-pile interaction modeling method and proposes an appropriate modeling method. Also, it assesses the behavior characteristics of the superstructure and piles of integral abutment bridges through parametric study. Soil condition around the pile, abutment height, and pile length were selected as parameters to be analyzed. Structural analysis was conducted while considering the interactions of soil-pile and temperature change-earth pressure on the abutment. Comparative behavior analysis through soil-pile interaction modeling showed that elastic soil spring method is more appropriate in evaluating the behavior of integral abutment bridges. The parametric study showed the tendency that as the soil stiffness around the pile increases, the moment imposed on the superstructure increases, and the displacement of the piles decreases. In addition, it was observed that as the bridge height increases, the earth pressure on the abutment increases and that in turn affects the behavior of the superstructure and piles. Also, as the length of the pile increased, the integral bridge showed more flexible behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.253-261
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• 2003

Mechanical behavior of composition pound improved by sand compaction pile (SCP) with low replacement area ratio could be more significantly affected by mechanical interaction between sand piles and clays than that of clay ground improved by SD or SCP with high replacement area ratio. It is essential to elucidate the mechanical interaction in the improved clay ground, in order to accurately estimate behavior in reducing settlement of the improved ground and increasing strength of clays. In this paper, through a series of model tests of composition ground improved by SCP with low replacement area ratio, each mechanical behaviors of sand piles and clays in the composition ground during consolidation was elucidated, together with stress sharing behavior between sand piles and clays.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.91-98
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• 2012

In this paper, the behavior of offshore wind turbine(OWT) foundation which is modeled by using existing design method and FEM is compared. When the same type of foundation is designed under the same sea and ground condition, the behavior characteristics with each model are compared. As a result, the member forces between apparent fixity and distributed spring type foundation which consider the ground stiffness are not different markedly, while fixed-base type foundation shows relatively lower member forces, which results in smaller safety margin. In other words, considering ground stiffness is reasonable because soil-pile interaction affects significantly on the analysis result. A case study with a monopile shows significant errors between p-y and FEM model at the head and tip of the pile. Also, it shows that the errors at the tip with diameter increase of the pile is larger. Thus, considering ground characteristics and engineering judgment are necessary in practice. A comparison of reliability analysis between tripod and monopile type foundation on the same condition shows larger probability of failure in monopile type and it indicates that the safety margin of monopile type can be lower.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.421-430
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• 2013

To predict behaviors of offshore wind turbines which are highly laterally loaded structures and to design them rationally, evaluating the soil-foundation interaction is important. Nowadays, there are many soil modeling methods for structural analysis of general structures subjected to vertical loads, but using the methods without any consideration for design of a monopile foundation is eschewed because it might cause wrong structural design due to the deferent loading state. In this paper, we identify the differences of the member forces and displacements by design methods. The results show that fixed end method is barely suitable for monopile design in terms of checking the serviceability because it underestimate the lateral displacement. Fixed end method and stiffness matrix method underestimate the member forces, whereas virtual fixed end method overestimates them. The results of p-y curve method and coefficient of subgrade reaction method are similar to the results of 3D soil modeling method, and 2D soil modeling method overestimates the displacement and member forces as compared with other methods.