Ensayo de segregación en cimentaciones para la estructura soporte de aerogeneradores off-shore hechas por vertido en caída libre

Abstract

One of the major concern of wind farm offshore is the type of
wind turbine foundation to be installed. When it comes to talk
about offshore installation of pre-piled fixed jacket foundations
(3-4 legs), one of the most critical activities to be performed
by the installer is the grouting operation. For currently wind
turbines size, pre-piling jacket installation is a very extended
alternative used which are drilled into the seabed until only
4-5 m come out the seabed line. Once piles have been installed
into the seabed it comes the time to proceed with jacket legs
installation. Next step is to grouting-secured together both
structures (pile and jacket) pouring grout, throughout the
already pre-installed grouting lines into the lower part of the
jacket leg. Due to complexity of the overall manoeuvre as well
as required precision not only for the grout system but for the
right parameters should be considered for pouring in order to
ensure the grout correctly into the pile/jacket annulus without
segregation or other undesirable effects occurring a mockup test was carried out. The proposed and analysed method
defines a protocol that could be used and repeated for others
offshore windfarms that are planned to be installed in the
future over pre-pilled foundations. Running a grout wall test
based on protocol described on this paper prior to offshore
grout operations will guarantee mix of grout and lub is in line
with grouting foundations requirements, saving pumping grout
time and therefore vessel stand by costs as well as money
savings for grout exceeds, avoiding segregation problems could
lead up to in worst case to foundations removal with massive
vessel standby costs for reparation of the entire installation
foundation operation.