Tripods port of Flushing
The offshore wind industry covers the entire chain from the design, construction and exploitation of offshore wind farms. The Netherlands have a fantastic starting position for offshore wind energy. Within its borders The Netherlands have leading international companies, from energy producers to marine contractor, from builder of foundations to cable-laying and from maintenance of research to maintenance specialist.
The benefits to build wind farms far offshore are simple: the wind mills are virtually invisible from the coast, the bird migration is less disturbed and the wind is stronger and more constant resulting in a higher efficiency which can be achieved. The disadvantage is that the deeper water and the rougher conditions require heavier foundations. At sea, the foundations are additionally burdened by waves and currents.
One of the common foundation method for offshore wind farms are the so-called tripods. The tripod is anchored in the sea bed by means of piles or by means of so-called "suction buckets' (the tripod is, as it were, sucked into the seabed with suction cups). The tripod is designed for water depths of 30-40 meters, but can be applied in shallower water. However, in shallower water a tripod is conomically less interesting.
In the ports of Flushing about 10 of these 1000-ton weighing steel supports are compiled and assembled. GSNED, the fieldwork department of BMNED, provides the geotechnical site investigations for this project. The geotechnical consultants of BMNED have taken a closer look to the land settlements which are caused by these tripods, wherein with regard to the assembly of the 350ton weighing top portion extra attention is given to the inclination of these 60 meters high giants.
