Solutions / Engineering guide
Wind Turbine Foundation Design Inputs & Site Records
A tower foundation must be designed for the actual installation and ground conditions. Prepare the geotechnical and equipment inputs with consistent locations, reference levels and revisions, then agree the civil-design and construction records needed for the completed project.
Connect the ground investigation to the actual tower loads.
This is an input and handover guide. It provides no foundation dimensions, reinforcement, anchor settings, concrete specification or construction procedure.
01 / Location & datum
Give the ground record a precise project reference.
Identify the proposed tower location, survey reference and ground elevation.
Identify the proposed tower location, survey reference and ground elevation. Show nearby structures, relevant buried services and access constraints using the information available to the responsible project team. Keep the investigation location distinguishable from the final foundation position.
State the elevation datum and the dates of surveys or site changes. A report from elsewhere on the property may need review before it is used for a relocated tower. Record the geotechnical professional’s scope and any limits on the report’s applicability.
02 / Ground information
Ask the geotechnical reviewer to define the needed evidence.
Collect the applicable investigation report, soil or rock descriptions, testing records and identified limitations.
Collect the applicable investigation report, soil or rock descriptions, testing records and identified limitations. Include groundwater observations with their date and location where available, rather than presenting one observation as a guaranteed permanent level. The reviewer should determine which additional information the proposed design needs.
FHWA’s subsurface-investigation overview describes investigation and interpretation as inputs to soil and rock design parameters. Its transportation guidance is general context, not a wind-foundation design prescription. Do not choose a bearing value or investigation depth from this page.
03 / Equipment loads
Keep load definitions, reference point and revisions together.
Obtain the turbine and tower information requested by the foundation designer.
Obtain the turbine and tower information requested by the foundation designer. Record the load-case identity, units, coordinate convention, reference point and applicable configuration. Equipment mass or rotor diameter alone does not describe every force or moment the foundation must accommodate.
Ask the responsible designers to confirm how the supplied load information applies at the foundation interface. The DOE project handbook notes the role of geotechnical analysis in foundation design; none of its large-project construction quantities apply to MARSTON small wind installations.
04 / Connection interface
Resolve the tower-to-foundation drawing before release.
Link the tower interface drawing and foundation drawing by revision.
Link the tower interface drawing and foundation drawing by revision. Record the specified connection geometry and the party responsible for checking compatibility. Identify unresolved details before procurement or civil work so a component list is not mistaken for a complete interface design.
A bolt pattern alone does not establish foundation adequacy. Anchors, embedded components, level references and the complete connection require the applicable engineered design and instructions. Use the tower planning guide to maintain supplier and local-work responsibilities.
05 / Design & work scope
Allocate design approval and civil delivery tasks.
Identify the geotechnical reviewer, foundation designer, tower designer and civil contractor.
Identify the geotechnical reviewer, foundation designer, tower designer and civil contractor. Define who issues the drawings, reviews equipment changes and specifies inspections or acceptance records. Keep the local approvals and the planned work boundary with that responsibility matrix.
Provide information about drainage, ground changes and construction access for the responsible professionals to consider. They establish the appropriate work method and conditions. This guide gives no excavation, pour, curing, tightening or lifting sequence and should not be used as an installation instruction.
06 / Handover record
Retain evidence of the foundation actually constructed.
Agree the required survey, component identity, inspection and completion records before the work starts.
Agree the required survey, component identity, inspection and completion records before the work starts. Record deviations and their responsible review, and retain the final drawing references. The installed condition should be identifiable without relying on an undated photograph of another project.
Carry the civil-work completion status into the commissioning record. For a MARSTON enquiry, identify the selected model, tower and required interface information. No universal foundation type, site approval or structural suitability is established by the turbine’s power class.
Continue the review with Wind Turbine Rotor Clearance & Three-Dimensional Layout.
Continue the review with Small Wind Project Approvals: Prepare the Review Record.
Continue the review with Wind Turbine Lightning Protection & Earthing Interfaces.
Further project guides: Small Wind Turbine Mechanical Loads: Forces, Moments & Cases · Wind Turbine Tower Dynamics: Frequencies, Modes & Excitation · Wind Turbine Extreme-Wind Design: Site Data & Operating Limits.
General background: FHWA: Subsurface Investigation and Design Inputs · DOE: Geotechnical Review in Wind Project Development. These references explain industry concepts; they are separate from the applicable MARSTON product and project documents.
Prepare the information for this review.
Use the checklist to organise the project information. Mark unavailable items and retain document references.
| Review item | Information to provide | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Site reference | Tower coordinates, ground level, survey datum and changes | Locate the design inputs. |
| Ground evidence | Report scope, investigation locations and groundwater records | Establish geotechnical applicability. |
| Load information | Configuration, cases, units, axes and reference point | Make equipment loads interpretable. |
| Interface drawings | Tower and foundation revisions with design ownership | Resolve the mechanical connection. |
| Civil handover | Inspections, final references, deviations and completion status | Identify the installed foundation record. |
Engineering questions.
Can rotor diameter determine foundation size?
No. The applicable turbine and tower loads, ground conditions, connection and responsible design are also required.
Can I copy another site’s foundation drawing?
Its loads, ground conditions and scope may differ. The responsible designers must establish applicability to the actual installation.
Is a ground report for the property automatically sufficient?
Review its investigation location, scope and limitations against the proposed tower position and design.
Does this guide specify anchors or concrete?
No. Those specifications must come from the applicable approved design and installation documentation.
Why identify the load reference point?
The foundation designer needs to understand where the reported forces and moments apply and how they relate to the connection geometry.
What should be retained after civil work?
The agreed surveys, component identities, inspection and completion records, final drawing revisions and reviewed deviations.
Technical enquiry
Bring your project information to the discussion.
A tower foundation must be designed for the actual installation and ground conditions. Share the available information and the equipment scope you want reviewed in a technical quotation.