GEOPIER® WIND AND ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Projects constructed in regions with high transient loads (such as wind loads, seismic loads, snow loads, etc.) face unique design challenges. Wind turbines are a common example of structures that are subjected to these high transient loads (in the form of large wind loads). Given the nature of wind turbine structures and the point of load application, the design challenges to be overcome include high foundation bearing pressures, significant overturning moments, minimum rotational/dynamic stiffness requirements, and total/differential settlement design tolerances. 

Geopier ground improvement solutions provide site-specific solutions at a considerable cost savings compared to traditional deep foundation approaches or other ground improvement techniques.

Benefits of Geopier Ground Improvement for Wind Farms

Subgrade conditions for wind turbine structures are usually the biggest variable in tower foundation design and constructions. Whether your site is challenged by soft clays, loose sandy deposits or organic soils, Geopier design engineers have numerous Geopier ground improvement options to choose from to meet your project's performance needs.

Renaico Wind Farm - Renaico, Chile

This project consisted of supporting forty-four 100 meter hub height wind turbines to establish a new wind farm spreading over 2,965 acres in Chile. Access roads, internal roads, and working platforms were necessary for the construction of the wind farm. Ground improvement was needed for the wind turbines foundations due to a composite of soft clay and silty soils.

To support the wind turbines, Geopier Rammed Aggregate Pier® (RAP) elements were installed to increase the rotational stiffness and decrease the differential settlement at the base of the foundations. The Geopier solution consisted of 79 RAP elements for each wind turbine, with effective lengths of 4m to 8m each in order to reinforce the soft soil stratum underlying the foundations. Click here to continue reading.

C rossing to Safety

I made a mistake. I knew it right away from the silence and sidelong glances. I was driving, or rather, parking, when I pulled in straight, right between the lines drawn on the parking lot; just like I always do. But this time it was different because this time my friend Vic was sitting next to me - and he was grimacing. I understood my mistake when I visited Vic’s offices. Not a single car in the lot was parked “nose in.” The other vehicles had reverse parked, creating a safer environment where pedestrians and other moving vehicles will be seen. Unlike myself, who was going to back up into the unknown and unwittingly violated a deep seated ethos – I had done something unsafe. What I really learned from my mistake though was not how to better park my car, it was how deeply the culture of safety has pervaded our industry – even among designers. Why?