Support Construction Grout Connection for Offshore Piles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for connecting a support construction to a foundation pile in the seabed, such as for offshore wind turbines, face challenges in ensuring precise alignment and load transfer, particularly due to the need for shimming plates that must be removed underwater, which is labor-intensive and unsafe.
Innovation Solution
A method where a support body with a stop edge on the foundation pile allows precise determination of the leg's height position without shimming plates, using a grout-filled connection that forms a monolithic whole capable of absorbing significant dynamic forces, and can be adjusted for dimensional variations using load-bearing elastic elements and height-adjusting means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If shimming plates are used to bridge height variations and ensure proper alignment, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates due to the need for underwater removal
Solution Approach 1:
The support body is lowered onto the stop edge before the leg is installed, establishing the correct height position in advance. This preliminary positioning action eliminates the need for shimming plates and subsequent underwater removal operations, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining alignment precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If shimming plates are used to accommodate height variations, then adaptability is improved, but loss of time increases due to labor-intensive underwater removal
Solution Approach 1:
The support body with its predetermined height is installed before the leg, establishing the correct position in advance. This eliminates the time-consuming underwater removal of shimming plates while maintaining the adaptability to accommodate height variations through the support body's design.
3Ease of operation
If the support body is lowered under water, then ease of operation is improved for underwater installations, but object-affected harmful factors increase due to underwater working conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The critical positioning function is extracted from the leg installation process and transferred to the support body that is lowered first. This allows the leg to be installed above water or in more favorable conditions, reducing the harmful effects of underwater work while maintaining ease of operation for the critical positioning step.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables precise and reliable connection of support structures to pile foundations, reducing labor and safety risks during underwater operations, while effectively transferring and absorbing large dynamic forces, and accommodating lesser dimensional tolerances.
Implementation Method 1
a grout-filled connection that forms a monolithic whole capable of absorbing significant dynamic forces
Implementation Method 2
load-bearing elastic elements and height-adjusting means
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for connecting a support construction to a pile foundation. In the method a foundation pile is arranged in the bottom and a leg of the support construction is anchored to the foundation pile by arranging a grout in the intermediate space between leg and foundation pile and curing the grout, wherein before the grout is arranged a support body for the leg is lowered onto a stop edge provided on the foundation pile and the leg is then lowered until it finds support on the support body. The invention also relates to a support body applicable in the method.