This technology is an offshore wind structure production method where high-strength concrete segments are joined one by one at an onshore facility to create an integrated tower. A guide frame is then set up offshore, steel pipe piles are driven into the seabed support layer to mount the foundation connection, and the completed tower, nacelle, and blades are installed on top.
Monopile foundations and steel hollow towers, commonly used in offshore wind, have low rigidity, making them susceptible to buckling. They also suffer from poor durability in saline marine environments, and their internal gusset connections are prone to fatigue, requiring frequent on-site repainting and weld inspections. Consequently, their service life is limited to around 20 years, resulting in low economic efficiency over the lifecycle. Alternative concrete towers have faced limitations due to unresolved issues regarding offshore production, installation, and member connection.
This technology involves placing an existing segment next to an external formwork fixed at the production site, inserting a rebar cage using a movable bottom formwork to connect it to the existing segment's rebar, and then inserting a movable internal formwork to pour and cure concrete, repeating the process to horizontally extrude new segments. The internal and bottom formworks return to their original positions each time, with formwork and rebar cage positions verified by surveying and voids prevented through compaction. Applicable to large-scale offshore wind farms in the Southwest Sea and Jeju, coastal demonstration sites, and intertidal projects, it minimizes offshore work and ensures a longer lifespan than steel towers through seamless, high-durability concrete towers.
This invention was developed with research support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for the rapid construction of pre-fab, pre-stressed concrete offshore wind towers.
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