Evaluation of behavior of bucket foundations under pure loading

Offshore wind turbine as a green renewable resource can have important roles in changing energy structure. In this study, the results of three-dimensional finite-element analyses of the pure horizontal, vertical, and moment loading of bucket foundations in medium-dense sand are presented. Sensitivity analyses have been performed on different bucket diameters and length-to-diameter aspect ratios (L/D); the responses for pure horizontal, vertical, and moment loading have been compared with each other. To determine the pure horizontal, vertical, and moment-bearing capacities of the bucket foundation, different methods have been compared. Charts and functions derived from finite-element results and responses are presented as failure envelopes in M — H plane. The results show that pure ultimate capacity of the bucket significantly depends on bucket geometry and aspect ratio.