Offshore Foundation Bolted Connections - Condition Monitoring
EchoBolt has supported RWE with a long-term monitoring and inspection campaign for offshore wind monopile foundations.
Retightening of foundation bolted connections can prove one of the most hazardous, and time consuming, maintenance tasks for wind farm O&M teams.
Typically requiring entry to restricted access areas with potential confined space risks and rescue challenges, monopile connections can present a formidable maintenance challenge.
With fasteners operating close to their yield limits in corrosive environments, a comprehensive condition monitoring strategy is required to deliver successful through life asset integrity.
Through the successful delivery of periodic ultrasonic bolt inspection campaigns, EchoBolt has supported RWE in the management of structural integrity of their large offshore wind assets.
With comprehensive integrity data provided via BoltWatch, RWE engineers have instant visibility of asset health and condition trends for the first time and are able to plan intelligent interventions, drastically reducing the need for unnecessary wholesale bolt retightening.
"EchoBolt inspection services have been instrumental in ensuring asset integrity and eliminating the requirement for excessive bolt retightening".
Chris Donn, Operations Engineer
