Comparative Study of Monopod and Tripod Suction Caisson Foundation for an Offshore Wind Turbine

Suction bucket foundation is one of the reliable types of foundation for an offshore wind turbine due to its cost-effectiveness and ease of installation. A three-dimensional numerical simulation analysis was conducted in this paper using ABAQUS 6.16 to determine the load bearing action of a monopod and tripod suction caisson foundation in sand under drained monotonic loading conditions. A comparison between the lateral load bearing capacity of monopod and tripod suction caisson under the same loading condition was made. The effects of related parameters i.e., the diameter (D) and horizontal loading conditions were discussed. The findings show that the loading conditions and bucket geometries influence the ultimate horizontal load and overturning moment capacities. An increase in the capacities is found with the increment in both the parameters. Load–moment interaction diagrams helps in the selection of suitable geometry for preliminary design for the foundation of an offshore wind turbine (OWT).