Response of short monopiles for offshore wind turbine foundations: virgin and post-cyclic capacity

Abstract

Geotechnical centrifuge tests were conducted to examine monotonic behavior of low aspect ratio piles in soft clays. Monopiles with aspect ratio of two were tested in the 150g-ton centrifuge at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Initial pile test results include force-displacement for displacement controlled loading. This paper focuses on ultimate capacity of short aspect ratio monopiles after cyclic loading. Post-cyclic monotonic capacity is compared to virgin monotonic capacity for pure rotational loading over a range of eccentricities.