NL2007166C2 - Re-usable guiding frame. - Google Patents

Re-usable guiding frame. Download PDF

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Publication number
NL2007166C2
NL2007166C2 NL2007166A NL2007166A NL2007166C2 NL 2007166 C2 NL2007166 C2 NL 2007166C2 NL 2007166 A NL2007166 A NL 2007166A NL 2007166 A NL2007166 A NL 2007166A NL 2007166 C2 NL2007166 C2 NL 2007166C2
Authority
NL
Netherlands
Prior art keywords
guiding
guide frame
guide
foundation
guiding frame
Prior art date
Application number
NL2007166A
Other languages
Dutch (nl)
Inventor
Gert-Jan Uittenbogaard
Maarten Veen
Gerard Lubbinge
Original Assignee
Ballast Nedam Offshore B V
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ballast Nedam Offshore B V filed Critical Ballast Nedam Offshore B V
Priority to NL2007166A priority Critical patent/NL2007166C2/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of NL2007166C2 publication Critical patent/NL2007166C2/en

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
    • E02D13/00—Accessories for placing or removing piles or bulkheads, e.g. noise attenuating chambers
    • E02D13/04—Guide devices; Guide frames
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
    • E02B17/00—Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor
    • E02B17/02—Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor placed by lowering the supporting construction to the bottom, e.g. with subsequent fixing thereto
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
    • E02D27/00—Foundations as substructures
    • E02D27/32—Foundations for special purposes
    • E02D27/52—Submerged foundations, i.e. submerged in open water

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Paleontology (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Foundations (AREA)

Description

P95315NL00
Title: Re-usable guiding frame
The invention relates to a guiding frame for the guiding of multiple foundation piles at an offshore location during installation of the foundation piles.
For the installation of foundation piles at an offshore location 5 usually a crane ship or a jack/up vessel is used. The foundation pile is hung into a crane and via a guiding construction attached to the crane ship or jackup vessel, the foundation pile is guided towards the bottom. Once contact is made with the bottom, installation of the foundation pile into the bottom can begin. The installation of the foundation pile into the bottom is usually done 10 mechanically by e.g. driving, vibrating or drilling.
A drawback of this conventional method is that it may be difficult to bring the foundation pile exactly at the desired location and/or to level the foundation pile at exactly the desired angle. Also, the foundation pile inclination may very from one foundation pile to another which may cause 15 difficulties installing the further offshore structure onto the foundation piles. Furthermore, only one foundation pile at the time can be driven into the bottom.
An objective of the invention is to improve the installation of foundation piles at an offshore location. An objective of the invention is to 20 obviate at least one of the above mentioned drawbacks.
Thereto, the invention provides for a re-usable guiding frame for the guiding of multiple foundation piles at an offshore location during installation of the foundation piles in an underwater bottom, wherein the guiding frame comprises multiple guiding legs that are mutually connected to each other via 25 a connecting structure wherein each guiding leg is arranged for guiding a single foundation pile, further comprising a support structure for removable self-supporting the guiding frame on the underwater bottom, such that after installation of the foundation piles, the guiding frame can be removed.
2
By providing a guiding frame for the installation of one or more foundation piles, the foundation pile can be installed at the predetermined location and level. This may reduce installation time and therefore may impose cost savings e.g. for the time of hiring a crane ship or a jack-up vessel.
5 The guiding frame can be put onto the bottom at the predetermined location. So, the foundation piles can not only be guided by the guiding frame, but can also be positioned at the desired location. By putting the guiding frame onto the bottom at the predetermined desired location, the foundation pile can be installed at the desired location relatively easy. No guiding structure at the 10 crane ship or jack-up vessel is thus required. This may increase the weather slot in which installation of the foundation piles may be possible.
By providing a support structure, the guiding frame can be put self-supporting onto the bottom, so no complicated installation of the guiding frame itself is required. The support structure is arranged such that relatively easy 15 installation and de-installation of the guiding frame may be possible, such that the guiding frame can be relatively easy removed after the installation of the foundation piles.
The guiding frame according to the invention comprises multiple guiding piles for each guiding a single foundation pile. The guiding piles are 20 mutually connected to each other via a connecting structure. The guiding frame thus comprises at least two, preferably three or four guiding piles, depending on the configuration of the foundation piles. For example, for the installation of a tripod-jacket, three foundation piles may be required. Of course, more foundation piles may also be possible. By providing multiple 25 guiding legs interconnected with a connecting structure, more than one foundation pile can be installed at a time. Thus, installation time and/or installation costs may be reduced.
According to the invention, the guiding frame is re-usable, so, after installation of the foundation piles, the guiding frame will be removed from the 30 offshore location. The guiding frame then can be moved to another offshore 3 location for deployment at another installation of foundation piles. This can be particularly advantageous when installing the foundation piles for an offshore wind turbine wind farm. In that case, multiple more or less identical foundation pile configurations need to be installed. By providing a re-usable 5 guiding frame according to the invention, installation time per wind turbine location of the wind farm can be reduced and thus the installation time of the foundations of the wind farm can be reduced. The re-usable guiding frame can be moved from one wind turbine location to the next wind turbine location to provide for a faster passage time. The guiding frame can for example be 10 brought afloat with air chambers, or can be lifted onboard a crane ship or jackup vessel to transport it from one wind turbine location to another wind turbine location.
By providing the guiding frame with an adjusting structure for adjusting the position of the guiding frame when on the underwater bottom, 15 the position of the foundation piles can be more optimally set for the installation. Thus, a more optimal position of the foundation piles can be obtained by adjusting the guiding frame prior to the installation of the foundation pile. This may improve the quality of the installed foundation piles. The adjusting structure may e.g. compensate for irregularities in or on the 20 underwater bottom.
Preferably, the connection structure is provided with the adjusting structure. The connecting structure for interconnecting the multiple guiding legs is provided with an adjusting structure for adjusting the interconnection between the guiding legs. By adjusting the connecting structure, the position 25 and/or level of one or more guiding legs can be relatively easy adapted to a more optimal configuration. The adjusting structure may comprise e.g. buoyancy tanks that can be loaded and/or unloaded, or may comprise hydraulic drive units, or may comprise articulated joints, or may comprise spring means etc. Many variants of an adjusting structure are possible.
4
Advantageously, the adjusting structure provides for three-dimensional adjustment. By providing three-dimensional adjustment, linear adjustment in all three dimensions is possible. In a more advantageous embodiment, the adjusting structure provides for six-dimensional adjustment, 5 so also angle adjustment may become possible e.g. via articulated joints such as a ball-and-socket joint. By providing adjustment of the guiding frame in multiple dimensions, a more accurate and optimal position of the guiding legs and thus of the foundation piles may be possible, thus providing for a more optimal and more precise position of the foundation pile.
10 By providing guiding legs that extend above the water level when the guiding frame is on the underwater bottom, at least a part of the guiding leg is visible above the water level. By providing that a part of the guiding leg is visible and accessible above the water level, the foundation pile can relatively easy be inserted into the guiding leg. Advantageously, the guiding 15 leg may be provided with a cone part at its upper end to facilitate the insertion of the foundation pile into the guiding leg. The foundation pile can be inserted into the guiding leg more easily while complex guiding structure on the crane ship can be absent.
By providing the guiding frame with optional noise reduction 20 measures, the guiding frame can advantageously be deployed for installation of the foundation piles while at the same time reducing the noise of the installation that is radiated into the underwater environment. This can be particularly advantageous since the underwater noise that is generated during underwater installation of a foundation pile, might be harmful for the 25 underwater life. Reducing the noise radiated into the underwater environment can be beneficial for the underwater life. Various noise reduction measures can be possible, such as an underwater device as described in publication NL 2 003 073. Other underwater noise reduction measures can be possible, e.g. dampers that may dampen noise generating frequencies, or additional structural 30 measures, e.g. additional weights, to reduce the generation of noise.
5
By providing a guiding leg that is arranged for accommodating foundation piles of various diameters, the re-usability of the guiding frame can be more widely applicable. For example, in a guiding leg cushions or rubber extensions can be provided that can be mounted and/or demounted depending 5 on the diameter of the foundation pile. Alternatively, the guiding leg may be removable connected to the connecting structure, so that it can be relatively easily exchanged with a guiding leg of a different diameter, depending on the diameter of the foundation pile to be installed.
By providing a modular guiding frame, the guiding frame can 10 relatively easily be adapted to varying water depths at different offshore locations. For example, the guiding frame can comprise multiple connecting structures mounted on top of each other to provide sufficient strength and height to the guiding frame. Also, the guiding legs can be modular, e.g. they can be provided as multiple segments mounted on top of each other to provide 15 for sufficient height at a particular offshore location.
The invention further relates to a method for installing multiple foundation piles at an offshore location.
Further advantageous embodiments are represented in the dependent claims.
20 The invention will further be elucidated on the basis of exemplary embodiments which are represented in a drawing. The exemplary embodiments are given by way of non-limitative illustration of the invention.
In the drawing:
Fig. 1 shows a side view of a guiding frame according to the 25 invention;
Fig. 2 shows a top view of the guiding frame of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the guiding frame of
Fig. 1.
It is noted that the figures are only schematic representations of 30 embodiments of the invention that are given by way of non-limiting example.
6
In the figures, the same or corresponding parts are designated with the same reference numerals.
In the figures a guiding frame 1 according to the invention is shown. The guiding frame 1 comprises multiple guiding legs 2 that are mutually 5 connected via a connecting structure 3. The connecting structure 3 is here provided as a truss construction. In this example, the re-usable guiding frame 1 is a quadropod guiding frame 1 arranged for the guiding of four foundation piles 4.
Each guiding leg 2 is arranged for guiding a single foundation pile 4. 10 The guiding legs 2 shown in this embodiment are at an upper side provided with a cone part 5. The cone part 5 may facilitate inserting the foundation pile 4 into the guiding leg 2.
The guiding frame 1 is further provided with a support structure 6. With the support structure 6, the guiding frame 1 can be positioned self-15 supporting onto the underwater bottom 7. So, complex and/or time consuming foundation structures for the guiding frame itself can be omitted. The guiding frame 1 can be relatively simply put onto the bottom 7 with a relatively small penetration depth 8 of the guiding frame 1 into the bottom 7.
In this embodiment, the support structure 6 is provided as mud 20 mats, but of course other support structures may be possible as well.
Depending on the bottom structure, the support structure 6 can be provided as mud mats or as side supports, or as suction cans or any other embodiment. By using the support structure 6, the re-usable guiding frame 1 can be relatively easily positioned at a predetermined location and can, after installation of the 25 foundation piles, be relatively easily removed to be used at another location.
By positioning the guiding frame 1 at a predetermined location, the foundation piles 4 can also be positioned at their desired location.
By providing the self-supporting support structure 6, the guiding frame 1 can also be relatively easily removed after the foundation piles 4 have 30 been installed into the bottom 7. The guiding frame 1 can thus be relatively 7 easily be re-used for installation of foundation piles 4 at a different offshore location.
The foundation pile 4 can be installed into the underwater bottom 7 by driving, vibrating or drilling or any other pile installation method. By 5 providing a guiding frame 1, multiple foundation piles 4 may be installed simultaneously. The foundation piles 4 may be guided during installation so that a more precise and accurate installation of the foundation piles may be possible. The guiding frame 1 can be positioned relatively easy at the predetermined and/or desired position of the foundation piles. This may 10 increase the quality of the installation while reducing installation time and costs. Complex guiding structures on a crane ship and/or jack-up may be omitted.
Advantageously, the guiding frame 1 is provided with an adjusting structure 9 for adjusting the position of the guiding frame 1 when positioned 15 on the bottom 7. Since the guiding frame 1 is only supported onto the bottom 7, the position, e.g. with respect to a vertical and/or a horizontal line, of the guiding frame 1 may be less optimal. By providing an adjustment structure 9, the position of the guiding frame 1 can be adapted and can be made more optimal for guiding the foundation pile 4, so the position of the foundation pile 20 4 can be more optimized. This way, e.g. irregularities in and/or on the underwater bottom 7 can be at least partly accommodated.
In this embodiment, the adjusting structure 9 is provided onto the connecting structure 3 as a number of buoyancy tanks 10. By fully and/or partly filling and/or emptying of the buoyancy tanks, the position of the 25 guiding frame 1 can be adapted, so the position of the guiding legs 2 may approach the desired position of the guiding leg and thus, of the foundation pile. In particular, by providing the buoyancy tanks 10 the guiding frame 1 and/or the guiding legs 2 can be adjusted in the upward direction.
The adjusting structure 9 may be embodied in various ways, e.g. as 30 buoyancy tanks, shown in this embodiment, to lift one side of the guiding 8 frame, or as a spring means on the truss structure, or as a hydraulic or pneumatic drive means, such as a hydraulic cylinder, or as an articulated joint, or as a combination of various embodiments. For example, part of a truss may be replaced by a hydraulic cylinder, or a joint and/or part of a joint may be 5 replaced by an articulated joint.
Preferably, the adjusting structure allows adjustment of the guiding frame 1 and/or the guiding legs 2 in the upward direction. More preferably, the adjusting structure allows adjustment of the guiding frame 1 and/or the guiding legs 2 in three dimensions, even more preferably in six dimensions.
10 Adjusting the guiding frame 1 and/or the guiding legs 2 in multiple dimensions allows for a more accurate positioning of the guiding legs 2 for guiding the foundation piles 4, such that the foundation piles 4 can be installed more accurately themselves.
As can be seen in Fig. 1, a part 11 of the guiding frame 1 extends 15 above the water level 10. In this embodiment, the part 11 comprises a part 12 of the guiding legs 2 such that the part 12 of the guiding legs 12 extend above the water level 10. The part 12 is then visible above the water level 10 which may facilitate inserting the foundation pile 4 into the guiding leg 2. Also, by extending a part 11 of the guiding frame 1 above the water level 10, the 20 location and position of the guiding frame 1 can be visibly inspected.
The guiding legs 2 can be optionally provided with noise reduction measures, e.g. they can be provided with dampening material at the inside and/or outside of the guiding leg 2, or they can be provided as a noise reduction screen as described in NL 2 003 073. Other noise reduction measures may be 25 provided as well, such as an air bubble screen around each guiding leg.
Many variants will be apparent to the person skilled in the art. All variants are understood to be comprised within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims (11)

1. Herbruikbaar geleidingsframe voor het geleiden van meerdere fundatiepalen op een offshore locatie tijdens installatie van de fundatiepalen in een onderwaterbodem, waarbij het geleidingsframe meerdere geleidingspoten omvat die onderling aan elkaar zijn verbonden via een verbindingsconstructie, 5 waarbij elke geleidingspoot is ingericht voor het geleiden van een enkele fundatiepaal, voorts omvattende een steunconstructie voor het verwijderbaar zelf-steunen van het geleidingsframe op de waterbodem, zodanig dat na installatie van de fundatiepalen, het geleidingsframe kan worden verwijderd.1. Reusable guide frame for guiding a plurality of foundation piles at an offshore location during installation of the foundation piles in an underwater bottom, the guide frame comprising a plurality of guide legs interconnected to each other via a connecting structure, each guide leg being adapted to guide a single foundation pile, further comprising a support structure for removably self-supporting the guide frame on the water bottom, such that after installation of the foundation piles, the guide frame can be removed. 2. Herbruikbaar geleidingsframe volgens conclusie 1, waarbij het 10 geleidingsframe is voorzien van een stelconstructie voor het stellen van een positie van het geleidingsframe tijdens het steunen op de onderwaterbodem.2. Reusable guiding frame according to claim 1, wherein the guiding frame is provided with an adjusting structure for adjusting a position of the guiding frame during support on the underwater bottom. 3. Herbruikbaar geleidingsframe volgens conclusie 2, waarbij de verbindingsconstructie is voorzien van de stelconstructie.The reusable guide frame according to claim 2, wherein the connecting structure is provided with the adjusting structure. 4. Herbruikbaar geleidingsframe volgens conclusie 2 of 3, waarbij de 15 stelconstructie een driedimensionale stelconstructie omvat.4. Reusable guide frame according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the adjusting structure comprises a three-dimensional adjusting structure. 5. Herbruikbaar geleidingsframe volgens één der voorgaande conclusies, waarbij de geleidingspoten zich boven het waterniveau uitstrekken wanneer het geleidingsframe op de waterbodem is.The reusable guide frame according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the guide legs extend above the water level when the guide frame is on the water bottom. 6. Herbruikbaar geleidingsframe volgens één der voorgaande conclusies, 20 waarbij een geleidingspoot is voorzien van een kegelgedeelte aan een bovenzijde voor het vergemakkelijken van het inbrengen van een fundatiepaal in de geleidingspoot.6. Reusable guide frame as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein a guide leg is provided with a cone section on an upper side for facilitating the insertion of a foundation pile into the guide leg. 7. Herbruikbaar geleidingsframe volgens één der voorgaande conclusies, voorts omvattende geluidsreducerende maatregelen.7. Reusable guide frame according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising noise-reducing measures. 8. Herbruikbaar geleidingsframe volgens één der voorgaande conclusies, waarbij een geleidingspoot is ingericht voor het ontvangen van fundatiepalen met verschillende diameters.A reusable guide frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a guide leg is adapted to receive foundation piles with different diameters. 9. Herbruikbaar geleidingsframe volgens één der voorgaande conclusies, waarbij het geleidingsframe modulair is.The reusable guide frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide frame is modular. 10. Werkwijze voor het installeren van meerdere fundatiepalen op een offshore locatie, omvattende - het voorzien van een herbruikbaar geleidingsframe volgens één der conclusies 1-9; 5. het zelf-steunen van het geleidingsframe op de waterbodem; - het inbrengen van een fundatiepaal in een geleidingspoot; - het installeren van de ingebrachte fundatiepaal in de waterbodem; - het verwijderen van het geleidingsframe na het installeren van alle fundatiepalen.A method for installing a plurality of foundation piles at an offshore location, comprising - providing a reusable guide frame according to any of claims 1-9; 5. self-supporting the guide frame on the water bottom; - inserting a foundation pile into a guide leg; - installing the inserted foundation pile in the water bottom; - removing the guide frame after installing all foundation piles. 11. Werkwijze volgens conclusie 9, waarbij meerdere fundatiepalen simultaan worden geïnstalleerd.The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of foundation piles are installed simultaneously.
NL2007166A 2011-07-22 2011-07-22 Re-usable guiding frame. NL2007166C2 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL2007166A NL2007166C2 (en) 2011-07-22 2011-07-22 Re-usable guiding frame.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL2007166 2011-07-22
NL2007166A NL2007166C2 (en) 2011-07-22 2011-07-22 Re-usable guiding frame.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
NL2007166C2 true NL2007166C2 (en) 2013-01-24

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2651181A (en) * 1948-08-20 1953-09-08 Pure Oil Co Floating telescopic piling template
GB2290334A (en) * 1994-06-14 1995-12-20 Kvaerner Earl & Wright Offshore platform and method of installation
GB2467842A (en) * 2009-02-12 2010-08-18 Marine Current Turbines Ltd A submerged support structure with adjustable feet secured by piling
EP2309063A1 (en) * 2009-10-01 2011-04-13 Aker Jacket Technology AS Apparatus, system and method of extending piles into a seabed

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2651181A (en) * 1948-08-20 1953-09-08 Pure Oil Co Floating telescopic piling template
GB2290334A (en) * 1994-06-14 1995-12-20 Kvaerner Earl & Wright Offshore platform and method of installation
GB2467842A (en) * 2009-02-12 2010-08-18 Marine Current Turbines Ltd A submerged support structure with adjustable feet secured by piling
EP2309063A1 (en) * 2009-10-01 2011-04-13 Aker Jacket Technology AS Apparatus, system and method of extending piles into a seabed

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Effective date: 20150801