The organisations will collaborate on multiple programmes aimed at achieving strategic goals in research, talent development and growth, with particular focus on advanced experimental geotechnics research and innovations in offshore site characterisation. Key to this collaboration is GDS equipment – starting with a Dynamic Triaxial Testing System purchased by GQM and donated to the University to underpin the partnership.
Since 2018, GQM has expanded in the offshore renewables market, completing major projects across Europe, Asia and the USA, with a large fleet of integrated geotechnical site investigation vessels. To date, GQM has contributed to an estimated capacity of 44.5GW of power output across 45 wind farm projects in 11 countries, involving around 11,884 wind turbines.
In 2021, GQM launched its onshore laboratory in Bristol to enhance its geotechnical engineering services. The laboratory performs an array of soil and rock testing services, including classification, consolidation, shear and triaxial testing, which were accredited by UKAS in 2022.
This year, GQM has made significant investment in GDS geotechnical testing equipment, considerably increasing the capacity of its services. The laboratory now offers a comprehensive range of geotechnical testing services for offshore renewable projects, including small strain measurements, as well as cyclic and dynamic testing.
GQM head of engineering Chris Brandish-Lowe said: ‘‘We are no longer a business that is focused on gathering data and then sub-contracting out an essential part of the operation. We are now able to provide a comprehensive, controlled end-to-end service, with a single point of contact, which means clients not only get the precision they require, they also have access to this quicker and more reliably, and now is the moment to develop new advanced soil testing technologies for offshore materials.”
The UOB’s Earthquake and Geotechnical Engineering Research Group at its School of Civil, Aerospace and Design Engineering (CADE) excels in advanced experimental geomechanics, geotechnical and structural dynamics, and wind engineering. Head of the school, professor Ian Craddock, commented on the positive value of strategic relationships with industry, which inform the university’s own teaching and research decisions.
Offshore structures such as wind turbines are often large and operate under complex loading conditions caused by wind, waves, currents, marine animals and complicated by highly variable seabed geology. As a result, the demand for advanced soil testing is rising.
To meet this demand, UOB and GQM will establish co-funded PhD programmes to address emerging research and practice challenges. The first PhD project will focus on advanced laboratory and field characterisation of “problematic” geomaterials encountered in world’s offshore renewable developments. It will utilise a brand new GDS Dynamic Triaxial Testing System (DYNTTS) ordered by GQM and operated at UOB from October, and GDS will supply additional local instrumentation and bender element accessories for the DYNTTS, ensuring it will be fully instrumented and capable of testing 50-100mm samples.
GDS Instruments’ commercial director
Clayton Dodd said: ‘‘We are looking forward to working with UOB and GQM. The feedback we receive from both research and commercial customers is vitally important to us at GDS. This drives our future product and software development, ensuring we remain at the forefront of the industry.”
GQM research and development engineer Mingnan Li added: “We very much appreciate the support from GDS. We would like to see a UOB-GQM-GDS collaboration in the development of novel laboratory apparatus, which would benefit the wider offshore geotechnical community.”