The EU H2020 MaRINET2 project has a goal to improve the quality, robustness and accuracy of physical modelling and associated testing practices for the offshore renewable energy sector. To support this aim, a round robin scale physical modelling test programme was conducted to deploy a common wave energy converter at four wave basins operated by MaRINET2 partners. Test campaigns were conducted at each facility to a common specification and test matrix, providing the unique opportunity for intercomparison between facilities and working practices. A nonproprietary hinged raft, with a nominal scale of 1:25, was tested under a set of 12 irregular sea states. This allowed for an assessment of power output, hinge angles, mooring loads, and six-degree-of-freedom motions. The key outcome to be concluded from the results is that the facilities performed consistently, with the majority of variation linked to differences in sea state calibration. A variation of 5–10% in mean power was typical and was consistent with the variability observed in the measured significant wave heights. The tank depth (which varied from 2–5 m) showed remarkably little influence on the results, although it is noted that these tests used an aerial mooring system with the geometry unaffected by the tank depth. Similar good agreement was seen in the heave, surge, pitch and hinge angle responses. In order to maintain and improve the consistency across laboratories, we make recommendations on characterising and calibrating the tank environment and stress the importance of the device–facility physical interface (the aerial mooring in this case).

Bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines are generally built on continental-shelf sections that are morphodynamically active due to their shallow depths and severe wave and current conditions. Such sites are commonly protected against scour to prevent the loss of structural stability. Scour protection can be designed using static or dynamic solutions. Designing dynamic protection requires experimental validation, especially for singular or unconventional structures. This article presents an experimental method for the laboratory analysis of scour protection for jacket foundations placed at morphodynamically active sites. The test campaign was conducted within the project East Anglia ONE (UK) as part of the asset owner studies and aimed to evaluate operation and maintenance (O&M) aspects, independent of the contractor’s original design assessments. The physical experiments explored morphodynamic changes on the sea bottom and their importance to scour protection, as well as the importance of the history of the wave loads to the deformation of the rock scour protection. This was explored by repeating different cumulative tests, including a succession of randomly ordered sea states (Return Period (RP) 1-10-20-50 years). The experimental results show that the deformation of the rock sour protection was the greatest when the most energetic sea states occurred at the beginning of the experimental test campaign. The maximum deformation was at 5D50 when the first test was also the most energetic, while it was at 3D50 when not included as the first test, yielding a 40% reduction in the scour protection deformation.

Accurate prediction of scour evolution around fixed offshore foundations is a key parameter for selecting the most appropriate scour mitigation strategy. Various formulations can be used to estimate scour around monopiles. However, non-specific formulations have been developed for more complex foundations. In the case of jacketed offshore substations (OSS), the geometry can be one of the most complex. This paper describes a hybrid methodology (numerical model simulations, semi-empirical approaches and physical experiments) to estimate the scour evolution around OSS. The application of this methodology allows the selection of the most appropriate mitigation strategy from an early stage of the project to the final decision. The methodology is accompanied by some examples. In general, the results obtained from the semi-empirical approaches show quite good agreement with the measurements from the physical experiments. Nevertheless, considering the complex geometry of the OSS and the potential non-linearities associated with the platform geometry, physical experiments are required to ensure the correct estimation of the maximum scour (local and global).

Field tests were conducted to evaluate the penetration resistance of steel plates in scour protection systems, usually employed on bottom-fixed offshore foundations. Scour protection typically consists of loose rock, whose particle size is comparable to the thickness of the skirts or piles, introducing a grain-size effect. To investigate this effect, plates under plane-strain conditions with four different thicknesses were tested in limestone gravel. In addition, interaction between closely spaced skirts was examined through double-plate configurations. The results indicate that penetration resistance increases with both penetration depth and plate thickness, and the response followed four phases: (i) an initial sharp increase in resistance, (ii) a transient phase while the failure mechanism develops around the tip, (iii) a linear increase once the mechanism is fully mobilized, and (iv) a plateau at a critical depth where resistance becomes nearly constant. Interaction effects between double-plate skirts were negligible at shallow penetration depths. A comparison with previous tests in high-density gravel of similar mean particle size showed lower penetration resistance for the limestone material. Analytical predictions based on bearing capacity theory agreed with the data when grain-size effects were included using an equivalent plate thickness equal to the actual thickness plus the mean particle diameter.