Undrained capacity of circular shallow foundations under combined VHMT loading. Issue 5 (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: He, Pengpeng; Newson, Tim
• Is Part Of: Wind engineering. Volume 46:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 1452
• Page End: 1470
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: Wind turbine -- circular foundation -- zero-tension interface -- failure envelope -- finite element analysis; Wind-pressure -- Periodicals; Winds -- Periodicals; Wind power -- Periodicals; Engineering meteorology -- Periodicals; Pression du vent; Vents; Énergie éolienne; Météorologie appliquée; Engineering meteorology; Wind power; Wind-pressure; Winds; Periodicals; 621.4505
• DOI: 10.1177/0309524X221083024
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0309-524X

Abstract

Wind turbine (WT) foundations are generally subjected to large combined vertical, horizontal, moment, and torsional (VHMT) loads. The available investigations of the ultimate limit states of WT foundations focus predominately on unlimited-tension soil-foundation interfaces that are more appropriate for offshore settings. However, the interfaces for onshore WT foundations are generally unable to resist tensile loads. To address this omission, a zero-tension interface is used to investigate the VHMT failure envelope of circular shallow foundations under undrained soil conditions using finite element analysis. The effects of soil strength heterogeneity and foundation embedment were investigated. The results show that torsional loads reduce the VHM bearing capacity of circular foundations. The foundation embedment is also found to significantly increase the foundation bearing capacity. A full 4-D analytical expression for the VHMT failure envelope has been proposed based on the calculated failure envelopes.