Ryder Geotechnical recently supported Inch Cape Offshore Limited (“ICOL”) with leg penetration assessments for the Inch Cape Offshore Windfarm. We assessed each turbine site for three jack-up vessels using our proprietary JUPA software and incorporating our ISO 9001 quality management system.
To support the decision-making process and add value at the early stage of the project, penetration results and risk assessments were presented graphically using ArcGIS and digitally using Hadrian Cloud Services.
“ICOL is very satisfied with the high-quality technical content contained within the LPA report delivered by Ryder Geotechnical, which provides great input for the project refinement phase”
Jordan Clarke, ICOL Marine Operations Manager
Water depth limitations of fixed‐bottom offshore wind turbines are driving the development of Floating Offshore Wind Turbine (FOWT) design concepts. A primary obstacle of floating wind is the high capital cost of constructing large platforms and mooring systems to support the turbine in deep water. As foundations are a significant portion of the overall cost, efficient anchor and mooring system design is required to make the FOWT system economically competitive.
The use of shared anchor systems provides a means for significantly reducing the number of foundation footprints. This has associated project cost reduction in materials, transport, installation, and geotechnical site investigation. The effects of complex loading imposed by anchor sharing on the foundation requires careful examination and vary with the foundation concept chosen.
Ryder has been involved in the feasibility study stage of several shared anchor design concepts, which consider multiple loading and various other foundation options and is also working in conjunction with Newcastle University on pioneering research on cutting-edge anchor sharing concepts.
Our experience in the design of mooring systems for floating FOWT structures can determine the optimum mooring foundation for any given criteria. If you have a requirement and are interested in the engineering concepts and solutions, please contact our team.
Ryder Geotechnical has recently worked in collaboration with Global Maritime (GM) to deliver a Site-Specific Assessment (SSA) at the Dogger Bank A and B offshore wind farm sites in preparation for jack-up vessel operations at 190 turbine locations.
Ryder’s role in this project was to complete a geotechnical zonation assessment to classify the turbine locations at both sites in terms of geotechnical risk to the forthcoming jack-up operations and to provide vertical-horizontal bearing capacities and fixity parameters. This information was used by GM in their SSA.
The Dogger Bank site is geologically complex, both laterally and vertically, comprising of highly deformed glacial till which has been deposited sub-glacial, i.e. under the ice and other pro-glacial sediments (in front of the ice) and deposited within lakes, rivers, and estuaries.
The geotechnical risk was defined by likely jackup spudcan penetration depth, potential punch-through severity, and other risks such as extrusion of soft clay layers. Ryder delivered a comprehensive zonal assessment with each turbine location classified based on geotechnical risk to jack-up operations.
Ryder has extensive experience in leg penetration assessments for a wide variety of jack-up vessels, if you would like to hear more about what we can offer clients please contact our team.
Offshore wind in Taiwan is a booming sector, and Ryder are delighted to be involved. We recently completed a complex Burial Assessment Study (BAS) for our client for export and array cables associated with future developments.
This involved a full review of the bathymetrical, morphological, and geotechnical conditions, and identified potential risks and constraints to cable routing and cable design, along with recommendations on installation tools and performance requirements.
Sitting near the boundary between the Sunda Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate, East Java presents numerous design challenges when considering permanent moorings, with complex soil patterns in a seismically active region.
Using our proprietary inhouse mooring foundation design tool, we were able to fully appreciate the risk each variable posed to the mooring foundations, to ensure that our clients received an efficiently designed and cost effective mooring pile, that satisfied API design requirements.
Wave energy is a hugely undervalued resource, and Ryder are very proud to be involved in the sector, using our knowledge of the behaviour of piles subject to complex loading conditions to further the developments of foundation solutions.
Ryder supported their clients on a challenging project, in challenging conditions, off the western coast of Australia, and delivered a foundation study that aims to ensure that client needs are met, whilst design efficiency is satisfied.
The seabed off the northern coast of Borneo presents a fascinating geological sequence, influenced by huge paleo flows and slides which have changed the nature of the present-day seabed. This has resulted in complex and challenging conditions for foundation design, and Ryder were able to support their client to ensure that the foundations for their FPSO Unit would fully satisfy API design requirements, including the potential for seismic activity in the region.
Ryder were able to use our proprietary inhouse mooring foundation design tool, that models mooring piles holistically to ensure that all variables are satisfied, reducing the need for repeat analyses, and considering design efficiency, cost, and safety, as a priority.
The Arabian Gulf remains at the forefront of oil and gas extraction with many fields still being developed and exploited. Jack-up vessels are in high demand and there are numerous hazards and constraints to their operation which include hang up and punch through; deep leg penetration and scour induced instability.
Expert advice when considering operations often with limited data can mean the success or failure of a project. Ryder support their clients in the region to ensure that jack up operations are achieved safely, by carrying out full risk appraisals for jack up sites, and predicting the behaviour of jack up legs during installation.
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