SOME CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE USE OF HELICAL PILES AS FOUNDATION FOR OFFSHORE STRUCTURES

摘要

Europe is currently the leader in offshore wind energy, with the first offshore wind farm being installed in Denmark in 1991. As of 2010, there are 39 offshore wind farms in European waters with a combined operating capacity of 2,396 MW. Currently, the most used foundation type for offshore wind farms is the monopile. However, the increasing water depth and turbine size will slowly decrease the utilization of this solution. Among several other solutions, an interesting one might be the use of helical piles. The aim of this paper is to briefly describe the current foundation situation in the offshore wind farm industry and theoretical considerations with regard to the uplift capacity of the helical piles and their possible application in the offshore industry.