Field tests assessing the installation performance of screw pile geometries optimised for offshore wind applications

This paper describes the first phase of a field testing campaign to assess the installation performance of screw pile geometries optimised for future offshore wind applications. The tests were conducted in medium dense aeolian siliceous sand at University of Western Australia’s Shenton Park Field Station. Single helix, double helix, closed-ended and open-ended pile configurations were tested. Different combinations of installation torque, thrust and pitch were investigated to gain a better understanding of the torque-thrust-pitch interaction, which is important to maximise the practical applicability of screw pile technology at the scale required for offshore wind applications. The results of the tests will be used to validate analytical and numerical techniques under development within the Supergen Wind screw pile project involving the Universities of Dundee, Durham and Southampton.