The aim of an ongoing research project is to develop a design approach for typical offshore driven piles (e.g. Jacket piles) based on the application of injections by compaction grouting directly at the pile shaft. The paper aims to present the results of laboratory and in-situ tests, which reveal the efficiency and the promising potential of the optimised foundation concept for a more economic dimensioning of pile foundations and to increase their bearing capacity in non-cohesive soil at any moment after installation.
The increasing use of renewable energies leads to a constant search for optimised foundation concepts aiming to reduce the costs for offshore wind turbines. In an ongoing research project, the authors are currently investigating the possibility to apply compaction grouting for offshore driven piles to optimise the foundation design and to act as a redundant improvement technique. Compaction grouting as a ground improvement technique has been used widely as a countermeasure against settlement and low bearing capacity of soil under new or already existing structures. It is performed by forcing highly viscous grout into the soil to displace and compact the surrounding soil without fracturing or penetrating it. Regarding this injection method, this paper gives a brief overview about general aspects such as appropriate soil characteristics and grouting parameters, grouting equipment and fields of application particularly in the offshore sector. This indicates the ability of our optimisation concept to provide an economic alternative to larger pile dimensions and a retrofitting technique, which is available during the entire lifetime of the foundation and can be deployed only in case of necessity (e.g. excessive deformations or insufficient structural stiffness after an extreme load event). Besides the material feasibility and the constructive realisation of this improvement measure, the development of a corresponding verification concept is crucial to ensure the safety and durability of the retrofitted offshore piles.
