Brief Analysis of the Development of Mechanical Research and Trends of Grouted Connection of Offshore Wind Turbine

Abstract

[Introduction] The connection between offshore wind turbine foundation and superstructure is usually made by grouting. It is crucial to ensure the safety of the grouted connections, and the study of grouted connections is always a key and difficult point. [Methods] A review of relevant mechanical studies on grouted connections of offshore wind turbines was conducted. The basic mechanical properties of grouted materials for offshore wind turbines were described. The force mechanism of grouted connections and the factors affecting the bearing capacity were summarized, and the existing code design and future research directions were described. [Result] The grouted connection has severe requirements for the use of grouting materials. Therefore, the high-strength grout needs to be used. Under axial compression, the grouted connections usually exhibit a ductile damage mode of the compression struts. The bearing capacity of grouted connections is mainly influenced by the radial stiffness of grouted connections, the height-to-spacing ratio of shear keys, the shape of shear keys, the length-to-diameter ratio of grouted connections and the strength of grouting materials. The relevant design codes have clear design methods for the design of ultimate bearing capacity, but there are few studies and imperfections in fatigue design. [Conclusion] Therefore, it is necessary to further research the fatigue performance of grouted connections submerged in water. Moreover, it is necessary to use full-scale or small-scale specimens in future experimental studies, and refined numerical models need to be used for analysis in numerical studies.

Keywords

• grouted connection
• axial bearing capacity
• fatigue
• immersion
• force mechanism