STUDY ON CRITICAL SUCTION IN SANDY SOIL OF BUCKET FOUNDATION FOR OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES

Zhai Hanbo; Song Guowei; Wang Tai; Pang Yabo; Zhang Linyang; Zhang Puyang

doi:10.19912/j.0254-0096.tynxb.2024-2374

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Acta Energiae Solaris Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (5) : 288-297. DOI: 10.19912/j.0254-0096.tynxb.2024-2374

STUDY ON CRITICAL SUCTION IN SANDY SOIL OF BUCKET FOUNDATION FOR OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES

Zhai Hanbo^1,2, Song Guowei³, Wang Tai³, Pang Yabo², Zhang Linyang², Zhang Puyang²

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Abstract

The effect of soil seepage in the bucket on suction was first explored through model tests, and a mathematical model connecting critical suction and penetration depth was establishcd, and the minimum critical suction required for a single bucket foundation at different penetration depths was analyzed in depth. Then, based on the research results of the single bucket foundation, the test and analysis of the penetration resistance of the four-bucket foundation were further carried out. The study found that as the bucket foundation penetrates, the soil inside it will experience a suction attenuation process, and there is a linear relationship between the degree of attenuation and the penetration depth. During the entire penetration process, the bucket structure will continue to suffer from suction loss. Based on the above observations, a relationship model between hydraulic gradient and soil penetration depth was constructed, and a mathematical expression for the ratio of internal and external permeability coefficients with penetration depth was derived. Finally, a new calculation method was proposed to determine the critical minimum suction of the bucket foundation through penetration experiments on the four-bucket foundation, and the effectiveness of the method was verified experimentally. These findings have important guiding significance for optimizing the design and construction of bucket foundations under sandy conditions.

Key words

offshore wind power / sand / single-bucket foundation / new four-bucket foundation / penetration test / seepage / critical minimum suction

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Zhai Hanbo, Song Guowei, Wang Tai, Pang Yabo, Zhang Linyang, Zhang Puyang. STUDY ON CRITICAL SUCTION IN SANDY SOIL OF BUCKET FOUNDATION FOR OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES[J]. Acta Energiae Solaris Sinica. 2026, 47(5): 288-297 https://doi.org/10.19912/j.0254-0096.tynxb.2024-2374

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