Tragverhalten von Groutverbindungen bei Monopilegründungen von Offshore-Windenergieanlagen

Structural behaviour of grouted connections for monopile foundations of offshore wind turbines.

Grouted connections are a central element of offshore monopile foundations. Reliable avoidance of damages during the operation stage is not only important for the prevention of hazards but also of strong economic interest. This article discusses the primary load bearing mechanisms. The numerical analysis of these mechanisms can provide decision guidance for the design and dimensioning of respective structures. This article draws on the experience with the detailed designs of several projects in the realisation phase. Connections without shear keys apply large-scale shell actions for the transfer of the bending moment between the transition piece and monopile. This goes along with comparatively large relative rotation between the two involved tubes. Only a very detailed model detects distinctive stress concentrations. The settlement observed under coexisting vertical force and bending moment can be limited by a conical geometry of the connection. By introducing shear keys, increased loads are observed for the outward positions due to the interaction of global and local effects.