Wind Turbines and

Wind Farms

Wind Turbine & Wind Farm Foundation Design

Wind turbines are unique structures designed to convert wind loading into electricity.

This functionality results in wind turbine footings that are subjected to significant axial loads and overturning moments.

Geopier foundation solutions for wind towers are specifically designed to address these unique loading conditions by reinforcing unsuitable bearing soils to create a very dense/stiff crust that limits settlement and prevents overturning.

Design Benefits

Wind turbine foundation design is very unique compared to most conventional structures. Geopier® ground improvement systems address the many soil-related design concerns associated with wind turbine design including settlement, bearing capacity, overturning, rotational stiffness, and sliding. We develop a site-specific pier layout for each site to make sure we deliver the best design solution for your project.

Schedule Benefits

Geopier’s solutions are rapidly installed, which can help keep your projects ahead of schedule. Each individual site typically only takes 1 or 2 days to complete! As an added benefit, there is no need to wait for concrete to cure before constructing footings. Wind turbine foundations can be excavated and poured as soon as all the piers in a footing are installed.

Cost Benefits

Geopier® ground improvement systems provide significant cost savings, particularly for large projects. Our foundation solutions are typically 20 to 50 percent cheaper than conventional foundation solutions (deep foundations and removal and replacement) and can also help save cost on foundations and slabs by reducing footing sizes and slab thicknesses. Our systems produce minimal spoils which saves on earthwork and haul-off costs.

Rotational and Dynamic Stiffness

The stiff Geopier elements improve the composite shear modulus beneath the wind turbine tower foundation, increasing the rotational and dynamic stiffness to the reinforced soil for reliable foundation support. The Geopier design is specifically tailored to deliver the required rotational/dynamic stiffness values specified by wind turbine tower designers.

Tensar Geogrid

Wind turbines are often constructed in rural areas that do not have the best site access. Constructing suitable haul roads can be a challenge, particularly during the rainy season. Tensar’s patented geogrid systems can help create stable subgrades for haul roads, working pads, and lay down areas.

Tensar Renewable Energy Solutions