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As offshore wind expands into new frontiers, jack-up vessels face increasingly difficult working environments. Beyond the sandy soils of the North Sea, projects are now being built on dense tills, coral limestone, and even exposed bedrock. These hard seabeds are testing the limits of conventional jack-up design and installation practices — and calling for new approaches in engineering, simulation, and digital operations.
Moving Beyond the North Sea
The global growth of offshore wind is pushing development into regions with very different seabed conditions. From the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean to Asia-Pacific and Australia, new sites promise vast renewable energy potential — but beneath the waves, conditions grow more complex.
Hard or uneven seabeds, combined with greater water depths and long-period swells, introduce challenges. Successful installation and operation in these areas demand a deep understanding of how jack-ups interact with the ground beneath them. For companies like GustoMSC, long recognized for jack-up design and engineering expertise, this evolution is an opportunity to help the industry adapt safely and efficiently to new geological realities.
The Hidden Complexity of Hard Seabeds
In soft soil, spudcans — the footings at the base of each jack-up leg — penetrate easily, distributing loads over a broad area. On rock or very dense soil, penetration is minimal or nonexistent. When a spudcan first contacts a hard surface, it can create instantaneous peak loads that reverberate through the legs, jacking system, and hull.
These impact loads can lead to overstress or local damage if not carefully managed. Uneven or sloping seabeds add another layer of risk, as partial contact or eccentric loading may trigger sliding. In areas affected by long-period swell waves, the risk of resonant motion further amplifies impact forces during leg touchdown.