Design and analysis for improved grout joint of offshore monopile foundation

Abstract

Monopile usually consists of a 'grout joint' to connect the pile and the sleeve and supports the wind turbine. The grout corrects the alignment of the sleeve and the pile from imperfection when hammering it to the seabed. Nevertheless, the destruction of the concrete remains critical. This article focuses on the damage behavior of the grout joint, and proposes a few types of improved joints for the connection of the monopile. Numerical simulations are performed for the general type and the improved types of the joints. In the analysis, we construct both two- and three-dimensional models of the offshore wind turbine. The damage location and maximum stress from the static analysis are discussed. Models with improved types of the joint are also proposed, analyzed, and discussed.