Design of a Large-scale Model Test to Validate Monitoring Systems for Grouted Connections in Offshore Monopile Foundations

Validated offshore applicable approaches in structural health monitoring can reduce the maintenance costs of offshore wind farms. To evaluate such for grouted connections, large-scale model tests are carried out at the Test Center Support Structures in Hanover. Their results are used to identify the process of damage at an early stage. For this purpose, a support structure model with a grouted connection was designed containing fiber Bragg grating sensors placed at certain positions of the grout layer. In this contribution the test strategy and its set-up are presented. Finally, the suitability of the sensors is shown by means of first results.