An Effort to Develop a Novel Foundation through Biomimicry Using 3D Finite Element Modeling

Wind turbine towers and tall trees have comparable components and induce similar loads (vertical, horizontal, and moment loads) on their foundation. In this paper, the possibility of developing a new foundation configuration similar to tree root is explored. Three simplified foundation configurations were identified with six, twelve, and eighteen main roots (MR). Three additional configurations were developed by adding two sub-roots (SR) per MR. Three-dimensional finite element models were created for each configuration in ABAQUS and analyzed by applying design loads. The results showed that the addition of MR contributed to a higher improvement in the performance (differential settlement and horizontal displacement), whereas, the impact of SR was insignificant. The parametric study conducted by varying the size of the taproot (TR) showed that a larger TR resulted in better performance but the impact of the SR was still negligible. Nevertheless, extensive investigation is required to make a better judgment.