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.