Fugro’s Houston laboratory has doubled its advanced soil testing capacity for three-way bender element triaxial and cyclic simple shear testing to meet the demand from offshore wind projects in the US.

Three-way bender element testing is performed on triaxial tests and uses piezoelectric transducers to determine shear wave velocity in different directions, which is incorporated into the design of the offshore wind turbine foundations.

Cyclic simple shear tests determine the dynamic soil properties used to analyse offshore wind turbines under wave and seismic loading conditions.

By the end of June, Fugro will have increased cyclic simple shear testing and triaxial testing capacity by 60 percent through a total of 20 automated triaxial stations. These stations control the vertical and horizontal stresses that replicate the unique conditions of the soil surrounding wind farm turbine foundations to determine the soil’s holding capacity, Fugro explained.

Victor Taboada, Fugro’s marine geotechnical engineering manager in the Americas, said: “This expansion of our advanced laboratory testing capabilities is an exciting development that will ensure our ability to fulfill the increasing soil testing requirements coming from time-sensitive offshore wind projects in the US.”