Instability of Bucket Foundations during Installation

The bucket foundation is an upcoming technology for offshore wind turbines. The bucket foundation is a large cylindrical monopod foundation constructed as a thin steel shell structure. A bucket foundation does not require heavy installation equipment since it is installed by suction forces. The combination of a thin shell structure and suction forces leads to the fact that instability, in form of buckling, becomes a crucial issue during installation. The hydrostatic buckling pressure of the bucket foundation is addressed using three-dimensional, non-linear finite element analysis. The results of the finite element analysis are compared with current standards for evaluating buckling loads