Monotonic characterisation of low- to medium-density chalk for driven offshore pile design

Ken Vinck*, Richard J. Jardine, Róisín M. Buckley, Ross A. McAdam, Tingfa Liu, Stavroula Kontoe, Byron W. Byrne, Pedro M. V. Ferreira, Matthew R. Coop

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

1 Citation (Scopus)
61 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Driven piles support a substantial number of offshore wind turbines, near-shore bridges, and port facilities. Designing and installing these piles can be challenging in Chalk, a porous, low-density, weak carbonate rock prevalent beneath vast areas of NW Europe. Designers currently have limited guidance on driveability, axial capacity, lateral pile resistance - a key factor in offshore wind turbine monopile behaviour, and how these piles can endure axial or lateral cyclic loading. This paper outlines the characterisation of very weak to weak, low- to medium-density chalk via in situ profiling and laboratory testing. The experimental characterisation identi-fied chalk behaviour traits that demand meticulous consideration in numerical analysis for modelling real-world issues, including chalk’s noticeable sensitivity, brittleness, pressure dependency, anisotropy, and strain rate dependency. These findings formed the groundwork for numerical analysis using advanced constitutive models to aid in interpreting axial and lateral tests on driven piles.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInnovative Geotechnologies for Energy Transition
Subtitle of host publication9th International SUT Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics Conference
PublisherSociety for Underwater Technology
Pages1897-1904
Number of pages8
Volume3
ISBN (Print)978-0-906940-61-7
Publication statusPublished - 14 Sept 2023

Publication series

NameOffshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics
PublisherSociety for Underwater Technology
ISSN (Print)2754-6322

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