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Monopiles are the most common type of foundation used for bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines. This investigation concerns the influence of uncertainty related to soil-structure interaction models used to represent monopile-soil systems. The system response is studied for a severe sea state. Three wave-load cases are considered: (i) irregular waves assuming linearity; (ii) highly nonlinear waves that are merged into the irregular wave train; (iii) slamming loads that are included for the nonlinear waves. The extreme response and Fourier amplitude spectra for external moments and mudline bending moments are compared for these load cases where a simpler static pile-cap stiffness and a lumped-parameter model (LPM) are both considered. The fundamental frequency response of the system is well represented by the static pile-cap stiffness model; however, the influence of higher modes (i.e., the second and third modes with frequencies of about 1 Hz and 2 Hz, respectively) is significantly overestimated with the static model compared to the LPM. In the analyzed case, the differences in the higher modes are especially pronounced when slamming loads are not present.

Large offshore wind turbines are founded on jacket structures. In this study, an elastic full-space jacket structure foundation in an elastic and viscoelastic medium is investigated by using boundary integral equations. The jacket structure foundation is modeled as a hollow, long circular cylinder when the dynamic vertical excitation is applied. The smooth surface along the entire interface is considered. The Betti reciprocal theorem along with Somigliana’s identity and Green’s function are employed to drive the dynamic stiffness of jacket structures. Modes of the resonance and anti-resonance are presented in series of Bessel’s function. Important responses, such as dynamic stiffness and phase angle, are compared for different values of the loss factor as the material damping, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio in a viscoelastic soil. Results are verified with known results reported in the literature. It is observed that the dynamic stiffness fluctuates with the loss factor, and the turning point is independent of the loss factor while the turning point increases with load frequency. It is seen that the non-dimensional dynamic stiffness is dependent on Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio, whilst the phase angle is independent of the properties of the soil. It is shown that the non-dimensional dynamic stiffness changes linearly with high-frequency load. The conclusion from the results of this study is that the material properties of soil are significant parameters in the dynamic stiffness of jacket structures, and the presented approach can unfold the behavior of soil and give an approachable physical meaning for wave propagation.

The increasing need for energy storage technology has led to a massive interest in novel energy storage methods. The energy geomembrane system is such a novel energy storage method. The concept of the system is briefly introduced, and a holistic numerical model of the system is presented. The model uses advanced finite-element techniques to model the energy storage system using fluid cavity elements. The developed geomembrane energy system is modelled with different constitutive models to represent the soil behaviour: a linear elastic model, a nonlinear Mohr-Coulomb model, and a hypoplastic constitutive model. The consequences of these different models on the results are studied. Hereby, the focus is the first inflation and deflation cycle of the system.

When facing the increasing demands of the housing market and balancing the requirements of sustainable development in the construction sector, building design methods should practise material conservation and adopt carbon reduction measures to alleviate the current environmental burden through the implementation of a circular economy approach. Volumetric modular timber design is recognised as a practical application to test the feasibility of a waste-reduced approach. Driven by the aim of further improving volumetric modular timber construction and increasing its use in a circular economy framework, this paper presents a case study review of 60 modular timber building projects constructed using volumetric modules. The dimensions, the architectural and structural design, and the manufacturing and assembly processes of the three-dimensional modular units were assessed to explore their potential for contributing to a circular built environment. The results show that the similarly sized modular volumetric timber units have the potential to serve different functions, and to be reused in subsequent projects. The stacking design allows modular volumetric units to be reused in a way that supports function conversion and satisfies project coordination criteria. The case studies illustrate that modular timber buildings are increasingly used for flexible design solutions, and to meet carbon emission reduction targets. The analysis results can address prevalent misconceptions regarding modular wood construction, provide interested parties with a better understanding, and promote the use of modular volumetric timber units in general.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present several methods on how to deal with yield surface discontinuities. The explicit formulations, first presented by Koiter (1953), result in multisingular constitutive matrices which can cause numerical problems in elasto-plastic finite element calculations. These problems, however, are not documented in previous literature. In this paper an amendment to the Koiter formulation of the constitutive matrices for stress points located on discontinuities is proposed. Design/methodology/approach – First, a review of existing methods of handling yield surface discontinuities is given. Examples of the numerical problems of the methods are presented. Next, an augmentation of the existing methods is proposed and its robustness is demonstrated through footing bearing capacity calculations that are usually considered “hard”. Findings – Previous studies documented in the literature all present “easy” calculation examples, e.g. low friction angles and few elements. The amendments presented in this paper result in robust elasto-plastic computations, making the solution of “hard” problems possible without introducing approximations in the yield surfaces. Examples of “hard” problems are highly frictional soils and/or three-dimensional geometries. Originality/value – The proposed method makes finite element calculations using yield criteria with corners and apices, e.g. Mohr-Coulomb and Hoek-Brown, much more robust and stable.

The construction industry is highly energy intensive and causes significant environmental impacts and reduction in natural resources. A radical change in current practices is necessary for achieving a circular economy in the construction sector. Structural holes in the supply chain, coordination of diverse stakeholders, and resource management at the end of life of buildings are some of the key challenges for implementation. Technologies that spearhead the industry transition and their contributions to realizing a circular built environment are reviewed in this study.