Bemessung von Monopiles für die Gründung von Offshore-Windenergieanlagen

Design of monopile foundations for offshore wind energy converters - Concepts and open questions.

Monopiles are the favorized variant of the foundation of offshore wind energy converters at moderate water depths. However, some open questions and uncertainties exist regarding the analysis of the behavior of a monopile foundation in the scope of the design. It is questionable whether the usually applied p-y method is suitable for the calculation of the behavior of piles with very large diameter. Moreover, it is uncertain how explicit proofs of the monopile behavior under cyclic loads, which are required by the approving authority, can be carried out. In the paper at hand, the state of knowledge regarding behavior and design of monopiles is presented and discussed, and open questions and research needs are identified. Based on that, concepts for practical design are proposed.