Industry-driven research projects focussing on inter related soil-structure behavioural issues
Research Objective of FRONTIErs is to develop a new integrated foundation design platform by
studying the range of mechanisms currently presenting as a barrier to continued growth of offshore wind turbines.
FRONTIErS is original, pertinent to, and innovative in its approach to dealing with the sizeable research area covered by offshore wind foundations; its ambitious industry-driven research projects focus on inter-related soil-structure behavioural issues; and in how it implements a trans-sectoral training regime to deliver a paradigm shift in graduate training. While courses exist to train practitioners in how to design foundations or use specialist software, these typically lack sufficient joint academic-industry input and have a narrow prescriptive focus.
A structured doctoral programme in offshore wind foundations will be established for the first time in Europe. The programme was initiated by world-leading academic institutions, whose staff are at the forefront of R&D in the field and with embedded major industry actors will provide a benchmark allowing other institutions to incorporate bespoke aspects of the programme into their training schemes, thus sustaining the sector.