StrongForce’s Ground Engineering Services specialises in the design and construction of face stabilization systems.
These systems include a range of temporary and permanent ground anchors, grouting, micro-piling and the application of shotcrete. The face stabilization systems have been used with great success in diverse ground conditions ranging from fragmented sandstone, to compacted sands, stiff clays, marine mud and fractured shale.
StrongForce’s Ground Engineering systems can be applied to:
- Excavations, Foundations and Slope stabilization
- Anchoring structures
- Resist hydrostatic uplift loads
- Dams and Quay Walls
Foundation costs are a significant component of the capital outlay for wind turbines. The reduction of foundation mass of up to 70 percent offers not only cost savings in materials but also minimises transportation of necessary supplies to site, which is often in remote locations.
StrongForce’s involvement in the wind turbine foundation design and construction at the Starfish Hill Wind Power Project in South Australia was praised by the client and other project participants.
An innovative design approach was employed whereby the traditional wind turbine bases utilized gravity forces provided by large passive foundation resistance to stop overturning.
StrongForce incorporated the existing rock (where possible) with high capacity, permanent rock anchors to provide a sound underpinning. This was supplemented by the inclusion of high strength post tensioned flexural reinforcement, enabling the anchor cap to transfer the design action effects to the ground anchors.
Post Tensioned wind turbine base with reduced mass and 16 ton of steel reinforcement and post tension ground anchors.
Conventional Wind Turbine foundation containing around 45 Ton of Steel Reinforcement and requiring around 70-80% additional concrete in comparison to a Post Tension foundation.
Advantages of StrongForce’s engineering services for wind turbine bases:
- Use of high strength subsoil profiles which allow the reduction in the pedestal plan area
- Use of high capacity ground anchors to provide the required resistance to overturning rather than gravity type foundations which utilize the volume of the foundation and the mass of the back fill to provide overturning resistance
- The system is far more environmentally sustainable due to the reduction of raw materials required to achieve the required performance
- Increased speed of construction due to the construction technique and reduced volume of excavation