The seabed environment poses well-documented challenges for offshore developers. The build-out of safe and sustainable offshore infrastructure hinges on the robust geotechnical analysis of seabed soil and bedrock conditions. After all, offshore assets, be them oil platforms or wind turbines, typically tower hundreds of meters above their foundations and are constantly subjected to considerable (and variable) environmental lateral loads and geohazards.
Bluefield Geoservices U.S., an international subsea geotechnical services provider, recently took delivery of a ROSON 100 CPT unit to support growth plans in the Americas. The CPT, the latest addition to the firm’s expanding portfolio of geotechnical equipment, will be managed by the company’s Newport office, in Rhode Island, and will serve the immediate demands of the offshore renewable energy market in the region.
The seabed environment has always posed unique challenges for offshore developers, whether in pursuit of O&G reserves, renewable energy, or marine minerals. The build-out of safe and sustainable offshore infrastructure is fundamentally reliant on robust geotechnical analysis of seabed soil and bedrock conditions. While initially born out of onshore geotechnical practices, today, offshore geotechnics is a standalone discipline governed by independent codes and technical standards. After all, offshore assets—which typically tower hundreds of meters above their foundations—are subject to greater environmental lateral loads (moment loading relative to structure weight caused by wind, waves, and currents) and a wider range of location-specific geohazards than their land-based counterparts.
Protection of subsea cables or pipelines is an essential part of any offshore development project, and one of the principal methods of protection is burial using a trenching machine. Survey work is an intrinsic part of any trenching project, both offshore and onshore.
Besides Bluefield Geoservices’ custom geotechnologies and geoengineering solutions, the team’s differential is the breadth and calibre of professional experience. In this next installment of our series of short Q&As, we shine a spotlight on the experts Redefining Geoscientific Frontiers.
When it comes to marine geotechnical survey, just getting to the work site can have a high impact on the environment. And then, once there, offshore geotechnical site investigation requires direct interaction with the seabed and these disturbances can lead to sediment plumes, uncontrolled releases of contaminates, and even equipment loss.
Besides Bluefield Geoservices’ custom geotechnologies and geoengineering solutions, the team’s differential is the breath and caliber of professional experience. In a series of short Q&As, we shine a spotlight on the experts Redefining Geoscientific Frontiers.