The GBM Works project team has successfully completed phase 1 of the SIMPLE 1 project. The team has extensively tested with scale models of the vibration and fluidisation techniques in the laboratory of project partner Deltares.
With different settings the prototype of the Vibrojet has penetrated several variants of soil composition. The design has been optimized and the prediction models have been validated.
Finally, the added value of our fluidization technique was demonstrated by measuring the penetration velocity and depth of the Vibrojet with the combination of vibrating and jetting, and comparing these in identical conditions with only the vibration function enabled. It clearly showed that the penetration of the Vibrojet without the water injection being switched on, does not achieve the desired depth and speed at required level.
With water injection by GBM Works' fluidization technique, the power of the vibration function can thus be significantly reduced. This is good news for Offshore contractors and equipment suppliers of vibration tools who face the challenge of installing ever larger monopiles in the seabed in an environmentally responsible manner.
The SIMPLE I project team is now preparing to repeat these tests on a larger scale, at a site of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. The Port Authority is one of the project partners and has made the land available for a certain period of time.
In SIMPLE II, which is expected to start in January 2021, the GBM Works team will shift the focus to the influence of the method on lateral bearing capacity and penetration by clay soils.
If you are interested in contributing in any way to the environmentally friendly installation of wind turbines at sea, please feel free to contact us. The result presented here is just the beginning of a dream! https://youtu.be/RcuQ84YL1cY
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