Various types of support structures for offshore wind turbine have been developed, and concrete structures have attracted attention due to many advantages. Although many studies have been conducted on the design of the existing steel structures, information and research on the design of concrete support structures are insufficient. Therefore, in this paper, a structural analysis model of conical concrete support structure (CCSS) is established and design optimization is presented. A detailed performance evaluation and the design of prestressed concrete were performed under the marine conditions of Phase 1 test site of southwest offshore wind project in Korea. The fluid–soil–structure interaction (FSI) was applied using the added mass method and soil spring model to represent the effects of water and soil. With the result of quasi-static analysis, a post-tensioning design was implemented by applying prestressing steel, and CCSS showed sufficient rigidity. From the natural frequency analysis, CCSS has a dynamic structural stability, and, in response spectrum and time-history analyses, the CCSS was safe enough under the earthquake loads. The methods and conclusions of this study can provide a theoretical reference for the structural analysis and design of concrete support structures for offshore wind turbines.

Concrete foundations have received attention as offshore wind turbine support structures because of their various advantages. However, because of the lack of information on structural analysis and the design method of complex marine environmental loads, concrete foundations cannot be applied on actual sites. Therefore, the structure behavior mechanism and concrete reinforcement design need to be evaluated based on soil-structure interactions. Herein, an efficient method for analysis of piled concrete foundations (PCFs) is presented, and the stability of PCF structures is evaluated under environmental conditions of the coast in Korea for a 3-MW wind turbine. Three analytical parameters for PCF models were defined to consider soil-structure interaction. The results of each model were compared with the displacement, stresses, and natural frequencies. Using the analysis results, a prestressing reinforcement design for concrete foundations was proposed. Quasi-static analysis showed that maximum displacement was sufficiently small and the maximum stresses did not exceed the allowable stresses. PCF showed excellent dynamic performance and structural stability. In addition, stiffness of the soil spring model influenced the natural frequency rather than the stiffness of the pile type. Detailed analysis of the connections between piles and concrete need to be studied in the future.

Several improved techniques for constructing soil-cement wall (SCW) have emerged owing to the advancement of equipment. However, the increasing occurrence of safety accidents can be attributed to the lack of analysis regarding failure behavior and insufficient research on design methods. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of both domestic and international design formulas for the SCW technique in practical applications. It also delved into the theory behind the arch formation and the failure behavior due to lateral earth pressure. An excavation method that can reduce stress, decrease the strength required for on-site mixing, or widen the installation interval for the H-pile was proposed. A case study was conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The eccentric steel inclusions for soil cement wall (ESCW) method, which seeks to maximize the arch effect, could reduce stress by approximately 50% compared to the existing SCW.