SPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF SCOUR AROUND JACKET TYPE OFFSHORE FOUNDATIONS UNDER CLEAR WATER AND LIVE BED CONDITIONS

Abstract

As an important contribution to the fulfilment of renewable energy targets, the offshore wind sector in Europe has grown significantly over the past decade (WindEurope 2021). Jacket structures are becoming more widely used as substructures for offshore wind turbines to accommodate the expansion towards greater water depth and to provide a stable basis for megastructures with hub heights greater than 200 m. However, there have been few studies (Chen et al., 2014; Baelus et al., 2018; Welzel et al., 2019; Welzel et al., 2020) that systematically address scour development at jacket structures. In addition, while the local equilibrium scour depth around pile foundations has been studied extensively in the past (e.g. Melville and Coleman, 2000; Sumer and Fredsøe, 2001; Schendel et al., 2020), there have been few studies on the development of spatial scour patterns, particularly around more complex offshore structures such as jackets. In this context, this study aims to improve the understanding of scour development around jacket type offshore wind foundations.