GBM Works from the Netherlands has developed a new method to reduce the noise pollution caused by driving foundation piles for wind turbines into the seabed.
The seabed is, as it were, fluidised with water jets that spray water into the seabed, reducing the friction on the inside of the pile. With the aid of the Jet-gun and due to vibrations the monopile sinks into the seabed under its own weight – faster and with significantly less noise.
To test the system, vibrations and deformations of the monopiles were measured using strain gauges, supplied by HBK. The results from this trial, at the Maasvlakte site, provided more information than first expected.