Verification of Buckling Assessment and Behaviour in Large Monopiles (VERBATIM)

Verification of Buckling Assessment and Behaviour in Large Monopiles (VERBATIM)

Increasing the understanding of monopile buckling to enhance the lifetime of offshore wind assets.

The risk of pile-tip buckling is a driver for larger pile wall thickness on monopiles. The Offshore Wind Accelerator Verification of Buckling Assessment and Behaviour in Large Monopiles (OWA VERBATIM) project aims to investigate the pile-tip buckling phenomena during installation and the buckling instabilities of the embedded pile near the mud-line.

This will enable the offshore wind industry to gain a better understanding of buckling behavior to reduce wall thickness, which will enable cost savings in steel manufacturing and deliver safe and optimised structures. Current design practices have to-date ensured successful pile installation without pile-tip buckling or refusal. However, with monopiles becoming larger, the development of an enhanced design procedure to deliver safe and cost-effective foundations becomes increasingly important.