A Hypoplastic Macro-Element Model for Circular Shallow Foundations of Offshore Wind Turbines Under Combined Loading
Fan Qinglai and Zheng Jing
DOI:10.11835/j.issn.1674-4764.2014.03.010
Received April 08, 2013,Revised , Accepted , Available online July 01, 2015
Volume ,2014,Pages 59-63
- Abstract
The foundation for offshore wind turbines is subjected to vertical loading caused by structural weight and horizontal loading and moment due to wind- or wave-induced loading. Furthermore, it sustains torque from rotor blades. Based on the framework of hypoplasticity theory, the available general yield function and plastic potential function, a macro-element model for circular shallow foundations on sands under six-degree-of-freedom combined loading has been developed. In this model, to correctly reproduce the mechanical response of offshore foundations under cyclic loading, the concept of equivalent inter-granular strain is introduced into the relationship of generalized forces as well as its corresponding displacements. The performance of the proposed macro-element model is demonstrated by comparing the model predictions with available experimental data from a series of model tests.