Offshore wind turbines: LEMSC puts their foundations to the test of time

Picture credit : LEMSC

The foundations of offshore wind turbines involve significant installation costs as well as a considerable environmental impact.
In order to improve both aspects, the SAGE-SAND project - involving several companies and universities, including UCLouvain¹—focuses on the long-term evolution of soil mechanical properties (soil aging) and the alternative use of vibratory pile driving for the installation and decommissioning of offshore monopiles.

After contributing to the installation of 2-meter-diameter piles—similar to those used as offshore wind turbine foundations—using both vibratory pile driving and impact pile driving, LEMSC then carried out the design and implementation of a lateral loading system up to failure on two such piles.

Full-scale tests were conducted from 3 to 5 June 2025 in the industrial zone of the Port of Zeebrugge.