SPT Offshore has been asked by the CLP Group to investigate the tensile capacity of a suction pile and compare it to its theoretical calculations. The CLP Group is one of the leading power companies in Asia. One of the goals of CLP is to install a wind farm offshore the coast of Hong Kong.

The wind farm will involve the building of 60 wind turbines in a water depth of 30 meters. Each turbine will be placed on a foundation constructed by suction piles. SPT Offshore will participate in a feasibility study that will investigate the suitability of suction piles for this purpose.

SPT Offshore will conduct a full size test using one of their suction piles. The pile will be installed and left for 45 days to obtain undisturbed soil conditions. After that a reverse suction operation will be performed.

The pressure inside the pile will be increased in small steps to mimic a suction pile under tension. With the SAPS-001 pump, SPT Offshore is able to closely monitor the pressures and soil movements inside and outside the suction pile. The pressures can be adjusted up to a 0.1 bar accuracy during the test. Final tensile capacity will be determined when the suction pile starts moving out of the soil.