CONCRETE TOWERS FOR ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE WIND FARMS

The Concrete Centre is dedicated to helping architects, designers, engineers, constructors, developers and clients get the best out of concrete and hence improve their own efficiency. With a remit to technically develop and promote appropriate concrete solutions, the Centre provides a focal point for innovation, research, development and technical excellence. This is achieved by developing design guidance on a wide range of topics such as structural design, fire, sustainability, acoustics, thermal properties and durability, and providing a comprehensive education and training programme to provide in-depth knowledge and examination of concrete issues and developments.

The use of concrete in the UK wind energy sector to date has been limited predominantly to onshore foundation applications. This contradicts experience from elsewhere, where application of concrete for pylons and offshore applications, such as foundations, is commonplace. As such, The Concrete Centre is committed to challenging the UK wind industry’s current thinking on wind tower design and to illustrate how the benefits of concrete construction can be realised more fully. For more information on the use of concrete in wind tower applications and the services that the Centre offers, including publications, seminars and technical support and advice from our regional teams,

Gifford is a leading engineering design consultancy with over 50 years experience of strategic planning, design development and construction design of major projects for the built and natural environment. Project experience covers: highways, rail and marine transport infrastructure; industrial and commercial facilities including shipyards, and production plants; energy infrastructure for storage facilities, power stations and wind farms; buildings of all kinds; urban regeneration; environmental management, mitigation and restoration; resources management including waste management.

Founded on the basis of invention of new prestressing systems for concrete and on the innovative design of prestressed concrete structures, the firm has maintained a tradition of innovation in emerging materials, technologies and fields of engineering. These have included prefabricated building systems, hovercraft, wave energy systems, wind turbine blades, strengthening techniques for structures and low energy buildings. Resources include a network of UK and overseas offices with over 600 staff covering disciplines and specialisms relating to civil, structural, building and environmental engineering and science, analysis and modelling, project information production and project management. PREFACE Considered opinion supporting concrete as an efficient high performance structural material, in the rapidly growing UK programme for wind energy generation, recently led to the need for verification of this potential.