Sustainable Design Optimization of Wind Power Spread Foundations with Large Width-to-Height Ratio in Sandy Soil

Haijun Wang, Xiaoxue Zhang, Huageng Hao, Liying Zhang, Yuhui Liu, Hao Cui, Jinge Wang, Tianbao Cui, Chen Chen, Chao Zhang () and Yaohua Guo ()
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Haijun Wang: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Intelligent Construction and Operation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Xiaoxue Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Intelligent Construction and Operation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Huageng Hao: China Huaneng Group Clean Energy Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 102209, China
Liying Zhang: China Huaneng Group Clean Energy Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 102209, China
Yuhui Liu: China Huaneng Group Clean Energy Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 102209, China
Hao Cui: Huaneng Jilin New Energy Development Company, Changchun 130012, China
Jinge Wang: Huaneng Jilin New Energy Development Company, Changchun 130012, China
Tianbao Cui: Huaneng Jilin New Energy Development Company, Changchun 130012, China
Chen Chen: Beijing Huaneng Yangtze Environmental Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 102209, China
Chao Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Intelligent Construction and Operation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Yaohua Guo: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Intelligent Construction and Operation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-19

Abstract: To study the bearing capacity of large width-to-height ratio (LWHR) wind power spread foundations on onshore sandy soils, this study takes a 2 MW unit foundation of a specific wind farm as the object, conducts its sustainable design optimization, structural design and bearing capacity analysis, and explores internal force variation patterns of the structure and foundation. First, it investigates interactions among foundation soil stiffness, foundation deformation, and width-to-height ratio, and proposes the ratio can be slightly over 2.5 under specific geological conditions. Then, it verifies the foundation’s design and bearing capacity via code-based methods and uses ABAQUS to build an integrated finite element model (foundation, reinforcement, foundation ring, soil) for analyzing the mechanical behavior of the overall structure and key components. Finally, it focuses on bending moments of the foundation’s top/bottom slab reinforcement and reaction force distribution, and compares results from code formulas, commercial software, and finite element analysis. The results show that foundation deformation relates to the outer cantilever’s width-to-height ratio, reaction force magnitude, and soil stiffness. Soil stiffness impacts the linear distribution of reaction forces more significantly than the ratio—when soil stiffness is smaller, reaction forces still meet the linear assumption even if the ratio exceeds 2.5 within a range; when larger, they differ greatly. Under specific sandy soils (bearing stratum capacity < 300 kPa), the LWHR foundation meets wind turbine requirements, and its foundation ring’s punching shear resistance complies with standards (considering uplift-resistant reinforcement). For coarse sand bearing strata, the foundation’s bottom pressure follows linear distribution per code, and code formulas apply. However, the LWHR scheme is not fully suitable for complex geology or other foundation types, whose applicability needs comprehensive analysis.

Keywords: sustainable design optimization; onshore sandy soil foundation; wind power spread foundations with a large width-to-height ratio; structural design; bearing capacity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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