Posters

Abstract

The evolution and optimization of wind energy production structures is an essential requirement to ensure that this renewable energy source remains competitive against conventional energy sources. Efforts to enhance the competitiveness of wind power have driven the continuous development of larger and taller wind turbine generators (WTGs), which in turn place increasingly stringent structural demands on the supporting foundations. Traditional shallow foundation systems, typically solid circular footings with variable thickness, have reached a critical threshold, with cases observed where the required foundation dimensions jeopardize the technical and economic feasibility of wind farm construction. To address this challenge, the present study introduces a novel shallow foundation typology that has the potential to redefine current design approaches. As an alternative to conventional shallow foundations (CONV, hereafter), the proposed system consists of a ring-type foundation stabilized by a thin slab. Specifically, the new design replaces traditional pedestals with a deep ring beam with a hollow centre, which is then stabilized with a variable-thickness slab—approximately 1.8 m at the centre and 0.35 m at the edge. Owing to the structural behaviour of the ring beam, which resists tower base forces through a combination of bending and torsion, the proposed foundation system achieves full compliance with regulatory stability requirements while reducing concrete use by approximately 20%.  This new foundation design will enable the development of technically feasible foundations for the most powerful turbines soon to be demanded on the market (>11MW), supporting the continued evolution of wind energy towards a more sustainable and promising future. This study compares a CONV foundation with an innovative ring-type shallow foundation for high-power WTG (11MW).