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Another form of remedial work, specifically for jacket-based foundations, is the grouted clamp. These comprise two or more segments that are placed around the jacket member. They are bolted together prior to injecting grout into the annulus between the clamp and the tubular member or structural node it is strengthening.
Grouted repair clamps – i.e. those where the annulus between the clamp and the tubular is filled with grout, as opposed to non-grouted clamps – allow for greater design and fabrication tolerances. The grout is distributed evenly throughout the annulus and once cured, provides a continuous load path and eliminates points of load concentration. The grout used is typically a standard Portland cement, as its function is to simply transfer the load to the steel clamp, which is designed to be the primary load carrier across the defect.
Clamps can be fabricated to almost any shape, making them a versatile option for repairing members or legs that have suffered collision damage, or to strengthen cracked or weakened members or node joints.
MARINE GROWTH CONTROL In the splash zone of any asset, marine growth build-up on foundations adds static weight to the foundation, and it increases the diameter and the surface roughness of the members or transition piece, thereby increasing the dynamic and hydrodynamic loadings associated with wave and tidal actions on the structure. This has direct consequences on the structure itself, as the additional weight will need to be factored into the initial design.
Controlling marine growth can be an expensive and time-consuming process, with various ways to remove or inhibit its growth. One method is pressure-cleaning the structures using high-pressure water to blast the growth off; another is scraping the marine growth away – although this can damage any protective coating that may be present.
A non-invasive and long-term method of keeping members clean is to use a Marine Growth Prevention (MGP) device, which can be sized to fit most structural members. It makes use of natural ocean forces and its own buoyancy to continually keep the member free of marine growth by stopping the build up of microbial slime which is the precursor to most marine growth infestations.
LEARNING FROM OTHERS Methods for repairing structures have successfully been tried and tested for decades in the oil and gas market, and will gradually make their way into the renewables sector as assets age, reaching their intended life expectancy, or suffer accidental damage.
This is one area where the renewables sector can certainly adopt technologies from existing industries.
FoundOcean
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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