Penetration Behavior of Jack-up Leg with Spudcan for Offshore Wind Turbine to Multi-layered Soils Using Centrifuge Tests

Abstract

This study examined the jack-up spudcan penetration for a new type of offshore wind substructure newly proposed using the jack-up concept to reduce construction costs. The jack-up spudcan for offshore wind turbines should be designed to penetrate a stable soil layer capable of supporting operational loads. This study evaluated multi-layered soil conditions using centrifuge tests: loose sand over clay and loose sand–clay–dense sand. The penetration resistance profiles of spudcan recorded at the centrifuge tests were compared with the ISO and InSafeJIP methods. In the tests, a spudcan punch-through effect slightly emerged under the sand-over-clay condition, and a spudcan squeezing effect occurred in the clay-over-sand layer. On the other hand, these two effects were not critically predicted using the ISO method, and the InSafeJIP result predicted only punch-through failure. Nevertheless, ISO and InSafeJIP methods were well-matched under the conditions of the clay layer beneath the sand and the penetration resistance profiles at the clay layer of centrifuge tests. Therefore, the ISO and InSafeJIP methods well predict the punch-through effect at the clay layer but have limitations for penetration resistance predictions at shallow depths and strong stratum soil below a weak layer.