Most frequent structural problems in turbines across Turkey are related to foundations and/or foundation-to-tower joints. While most common problems in foundations are related to reinforced concrete construction, placement and order of reinforcement, proportions of reinforcement and concrete cure; in foundation-to-tower joints generally encounter such a problem as disassociation of foundation and tower from one another.
Inner and outer foundation controls essentially carry risks because these controls mostly done with bare eyes. Whereas, even microfractures may be a precursor of rather serious problems.
Problems in foundations and/or foundation-to-tower joints that are hard to diagnose may cause losses in production, safety vulnerabilities and secondary damages in structures.
In general risks-efficiency assessments, effects of a mechanism, which weighs hundreds of kilograms and continuously swirls at tens of meters height to generate electricity in ever-changing conditions, to a system that carries it, must be taken into consideration. The ever-repeating swirling movements, which exceed millions in its life time, expand the weakness in foundations in time.
There are various solutions to foundation-to-tower joints implemented in the past by various companies. Therefore, there is not one single solution to these problems. The method, which must be followed in turbine structures, which have stability and strength problems, reveal anomalies or make investors think they have structural problems, is to apply tests, which contain structural measurements as in the doctor-patient relationship. Then, complex dynamic behaviors may be clarified.
Problems in foundations and/or foundation-to-tower joints which are hard to comprehend and diagnose their severity cause decrease in performance, safety weaknesses and secondary damages in the structures. There are always advanced signals in detecting the structural damages which may cause production losses and if they are properly monitored, preventive maintenance may be done without decreasing the frequency of turbines and halting the production.
With our fundamental CHECK UP services, we diagnose the fractures in the foundations, make a report on them, if necessary, strengthen foundations and monitor them after our work.
