Scour put to the test

Eon, HR Wallingford and Oxford University’s Department of Engineering Science have completed a 10-week project examining different forms of scour protection for offshore wind turbine monopile foundations.

The project aimed to help identify which scour remediation strategies are the most effective in maintaining foundation performance.

Scale modelling was carried out at HR Wallingford’s fast flow facility, which can generate waves up to one metre high and flows of over two metres per second.

Eon Climate and Renewables offshore foundations engineer Philippa Cassie said: “By conducting this research, we are aiming to quantify the contribution of scour and scour protection measures in structural terms to inform proactive management of the operational fleet and designs on future projects.”

Image: HR Wallingford