The precast foundation for wind turbines
Wind turbines – the Champions League of foundations construction. Hardly any other structure makes such high demands on foundations as a wind turbine. Until now, a cast-in-place concrete foundation has been the industry standard.
Read more about our precast solution here:
> Technology,
> procedure on the construction site,
> why our foundations are better than other precast and cast-in-place foundations and
> what the benefits are.
OUR TECHNOLOGY FOR WIND TURBINES
FOUNDATIONS OF PRECAST ELEMENTS ONLY
You've heard that before?
We are not the first ones to develop precast foundations for wind turbines. But we are the first company in the world that has produced, certified and installed precast foundations for wind turbines. In addition, our foundations are 100% precast concrete – which means 0% cast-in-place concrete. Currently, numerous wind turbines have already been put into operation that stand on our foundations. Read more about our technology here.
Tensioning
Let’s start with the true highlight of our precast foundations straight away: the tensioning. Instead of using expensive and high-maintenance fasteners (e.g. tensioning strands), our precast elements are braced by the anchor cage. Modifications to the anchor cage design are not necessary for this.
Ring elements
Essentially, our precast foundation consists of two elements. The rings “carry” the tower. Each ring consists of single precast elements. As a rule, there are three rings, one above the other.
The tower connection of our foundations is identical to that of cast-in-place concrete foundations.
Rib elements
The rib elements are the most distinctive parts of our foundation. They are placed first in the excavation pit in the required number. Then the ring elements are placed on top of them. In order to be able to guarantee the load transfer, we place cover plates between the rib elements. The soil that was previously removed from the excavation pit is then placed on top of them.
IMPLEMENTATION ON SITE
THE CONSTRUCION SITE
Preparation is everything
In order for the construction site to be optimally prepared for our foundations, no special precautions are necessary.
The ground of the excavation pit only has to be covered with chippings and levelled, because our foundations do not require a blinding layer of concrete.
The precast elements are delivered by standard trucks and positioned on the crane positioning and assembly area.To move the ring and rib elements, as well as the cover plates, we only need a small crane.
Simple assembly
Neither special fasteners nor specially trained personnel are required for the installation of our precast foundations. It takes approximately five working days from the day of delivery to the installation of the tower.
While the foundation is being assembled and tensioned via the anchor cage, preparations for the tower construction can usually already begin in parallel. Here you can see the assembled foundation, while the tower parts are already waiting to be used. The foundation only needs to be filled with soil and then the tower can be assembled.
Done!
Here you can see the finished assembled foundation with the rib elements, on which the ring elements and plates were placed. As you can also see: ANKER precast foundations do not require a blinding layer.
Dismantling is simple: after the system and tower have been dismantled, the tension is released and the single elements are transported away on standard trucks. The foundation can either be reused elsewhere or recycled.
WHY WE ARE BETTER
COMPARISON
Our foundations vs. other foundations
See for yourself. We have made the comparison for you:
ANKER precast foundations versus other precast foundations and
ANKER precast foundations versus cast-in-place concrete foundations.
Because there are other precast foundation suppliers.
But no one can do what we can do!
Other precast foundations
The USP of the ANKER precast foundation is its complete independence from cast-in-place concrete, the international certification according to IEC 61400 standard, as well as the elimination of unusual fasteners and unfamiliar site processes.
Precast wind turbine foundations from other suppliers consist only in part of prefabricated parts, still require cast-in-place concrete and special joining techniques. In addition, we are not aware of any certified precast foundation to date.
ANKER precast foundations
Other precast foundations
Dependency on cast-in-place concrete
Certification
Connecting effort
Cast-in-place concrete foundations
The USP of the ANKER precast foundation is its material efficiency, the complete independence from cast-in-place concrete, the international certification according to IEC 61400 standard, and the absence of unusual fasteners and unfamiliar site processes.
Cast-in-place concrete foundations are the international standard in the construction of wind turbine foundations. While turbines have undergone enormous technical developments in recent years, there has been a technological standstill in the field of foundations construction.
ANKER precast foundations
Cast-in-place concrete foundations
*Comparative calculation based on an Enercon
E-115 with 149m HH at a location in Germany
Dependency on cast-in-place concrete
Construction time
Weather dependency
Logistics
Quality
Blinding layer
no blinding layer required
Dismantling
We fulfill your expectations
BENEFITS OF ANKER PRECAST FOUNDATIONS AT A GLANCE
Efficient
In almost any weather, our precast foundations can be installed. Site processes are optimized and there are no special fasteners or qualifications of installation personnel to consider.
Certified
The elements of our foundations are pre-produced in series under controlled conditions and leave our halls only after strict quality testing. Certification according to the IEC 61400 norm is standard for us.
Sustainable
Up to 70% less concrete, also the elimination of cast-in-place concrete, the blinding layer and thus of soil sealing, as well as the easy deconstructability make our precast foundations sustainable and resource-saving.
Economical
The minimized use of materials, the low costs for erection and dismantling and, last but not least, the fact that there is no need for heavy transport, are reflected in the price - both in the short and long term.
Our foundations are
EFFICIENT
efficient
Short construction time
Foundations can be installed within a very short time. After preparing the foundation pit, our foundations need only 4 to 5 days until the tower construction can be started. The construction time of cast-in-place concrete foundations is usually at least 8 weeks, which corresponds to a construction time reduction of 90% with ANKER foundations.
Reduced site processes
The installation of a precast foundation takes about five days. Due to the elimination of the curing time on site, which is at least 28 days (before quality check for cast-in-place foundations) the tower construction can be started immediately afterward the installation of the precast foundation.
Shorter construction time, less logistical coordination effort.
Simple connection
The elimination of special and unusual fasteners for the construction of wind power foundations, as well as the strong reduction of site processes, not only help to save costs, but also allow ANKER foundations to be installed extremely quickly almost anywhere in the world.
Our foundation does not require any special or unusual fasteners. Other precast foundations, on the other hand, use complex connection methods such as tension strands used in bridge construction. Our precast elements are connected to each other via the anchor cage and tensioned to each other.
Weather independent
Temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius or dry heat, pouring rain, extreme sunshine; all these affect the start, duration, cost and quality of cast-in-place concrete foundation construction.
We prefabricate our foundations in single parts and thus have many advantages: We can actually build in any weather, finish quickly, and there are no nasty surprises in the quality of the foundation. This is because our foundations are pre-manufactured in individual parts under perfect conditions, quality-tested and only positioned and connected to each other on site.
Our foundations are
CERTIFIED
certified
Certified
To the best of our knowledge, our precast foundations are the only precast foundations that have been statically reviewed and certified by TÜV Nord according to IEC 61400 standards. Thus, our foundations are as reliable and effective as cast-in-place concrete foundations.
Quality-tested
Certified quality assurance processes in accordance with ISO 9001, together with experienced personnel in our precast plant, ensure that every foundation delivered meets the highest quality standards.
In contrast to cast-in-place concrete foundations, we can thus guarantee test-proof construction.
Precise dimensional production ex works
Cast-in-place concrete foundations must be regularly repaired or rehabilitated immediately after construction or even during operation. By producing our foundations in a precast concrete plant, we achieve maximum quality. The individual parts of our foundations are assembled on site and just have to be aligned precisely. Quality inspection is already carried out at the plant. This means that your construction site can be planned much better than with a cast-in-place concrete foundation.
Our foundations are
SUSTAINABLE
sustainable
Up to 70% less & no cast-in-place concrete
Through years of development and optimization of our precast foundations, we have been able to find a construction method that allows us to reduce the consumption of concrete by approximately 70% compared to conventional cast-in-place concrete foundations.
Deconstructable & reusable
ANKER foundations can be dismantled extremely efficiently. The single components of the foundation can simply be lifted out of the foundation pit with a small crane. There is no need for particularly time-consuming and cost-intensive removal or blasting as with cast-in-place concrete foundations.
No blinding layer
Our foundations do not require a blinding layer. Cast-in-place concrete foundations, on the other hand, require a blinding layer of lightweight concrete under the actual foundation. This cast-in-place concrete layer does not only increase the consumption of concrete, but also seals the soil.
By eliminating the need for a blinding layer, our ANKER foundations reduce soil sealing and avoid unnecessary costs. This helps to further reduce the impact of wind turbines on the environment.
Less CO₂ load
Concrete is responsible for approx. 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Thus, our foundations make a significant contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of a wind turbine.
Example:
A cast-in-place concrete foundation for an Enercon E-115 with 149m hub height emits about 360t CO₂. An ANKER precast foundation for the same turbine emits only approx. 105t CO₂ and thus almost 255t CO₂ emissions can be saved.
Our foundations are
ECONOMICAL
economical
Low material usage
Our foundations require up to approx. 70% less concrete than conventional cast-in-place concrete foundations. Thus, we have already significantly reduced the use of materials through the design alone.
Lower dismantling costs
If you consider the costs over the entire service life of a wind turbine, including dismantling, an immense amount is added up. Of this, approx. 50% is attributable to the foundation. ANKER precast foundations can be dismantled quickly and efficiently using a small crane. cast-in-place concrete foundations require costly blasting and disposal. If you do not want to reuse the precast foundation, you also save disposal costs because we use less material from the outset.
No heavy load transports
The single elements of our foundations weigh up to 25t and fit on a standard truck. This means that heavy transports are not required for delivery. Only approx. 40 truck transports per foundation are required. When building a comparable cast-in-place concrete foundation, 140 or more concrete mixers usually have to deliver the cast-in-place concrete within 48 hours. This means a very high coordination effort and nuisance to the environment. Access roads, nature and residents are thus considerably relieved by the use of our precast foundations.
No cast-in-place concrete
In many countries and locations, cast-in-place concrete is considerably less easily available than in Germany. This usually leads to significantly higher prices, complex logistics and long travel distances. By using our foundations, cast-in-place concrete can be dispensed with at the construction site.
Due to the use of increasingly powerful and larger wind turbines, the logistical and financial challenge of delivering cast-in-place concrete to regions with poor infrastructure (e.g. Scandinavia, Africa, Canada, Australia) will increase considerably in the future.
