AUG 28

Concrete is not often the greenest material choice, particularly since concrete production is one of the largest single sources of carbon emissions globally. But, for wind turbine towers, the use of concrete bases can provide a number of significant benefits, including reducing the amount of concrete needed for the footings for a tower by more than two-thirds. Concrete bases can also be more economical to install and can provide faster construction times for wind towers and also can raise tower height to increase power production.

The wider footprint of the precast concrete base also adds stability to the foundation of the tower. With the precast concrete base, load is spread over a wider area, and a simpler ring footing can be utilized, which results in a 60% - 70% reduction in the concrete needed for the footing of the tower. This can result in a net reduction of the total amount of concrete used. The ring footing is easier to construct as well, since the problems associated with a mass pour can be avoided.

In addition to the construction benefits, the concrete bases increase the overall tower height to raise the turbine into more powerful winds or to allow the use of larger diameter blades. Metal towers are reaching limits for transportability and constructibility, but adding precast concrete tower base can add 30 meters (almost 100 feet) of height to the tower. This can allow larger diameter turbines to be used with existing metal towers.

Concrete tower bases can also be locally produced, rather than needing specialized manufacture as with steel towers. Precast concrete sections for these bases are actually more transportable, since they are produced in sections that are assembled together once on site. Concrete is also a sturdier product, which is less susceptible to damage and rusting and does not require regular painting like steel.

via: North American Windpower

Comments (6)

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written by Peter, August 29, 2010

Is Ecogeek so now thoroughly debased of values and corrupted by advertising that it resorts to distributing a concrete company white paper (essentially an advertisement) and promotes it as interesting article for its readers?

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Concrete and Advertising
written by Hank, August 29, 2010

First, let me emphasize that EcoGeek has never and will never accept payment for posts. We, of course, need advertising to pay our hosting bill and to pay our writers.

There are certainly some cases where we're not digging as deep as we could be, but, generally, we're digging a heck of a lot deeper than the mainstream media.

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Thank you, Ecogeek!
written by Doc Rings, August 30, 2010

Ecogeek... thank you for finding these stories (wherever they may be found) because whether one agrees with the underlying sentinment/science does not mean it should be censored or not presented. I look forward to reading the wide variety of stories that may impact the ecological movement in the world.
Please continue to proffer the informative stories you do, and ignore those who are so close-minded that they prefer censoring information rather than reading it and making intelligent inquiry.

Cheers!
Dr. Rings

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trollz
written by FungusBunny, August 30, 2010

Ever notice that the first post on any ecogeek article is always by someone who has to piss on the article for not being green enough?

Get a haircut, hippie.

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Clean Hybrid Power Towers
written by Logan Quinn, September 09, 2010

I envision a future when every single one of these large scale wind turbine towers also function as C02 Scrubbers and are covered with hybrid Piezoelectric/Photovoltaic Cells (I envision every rooftop in the world also being covered in these cells) and at the base of every tower would be a machine/factory that collects the carbon and weaves it into big rolls of carbon fiber sheets to be used for manufacturing all kinds of things including automotive bodies and more wind turbine towers and blades.

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More Wind Turbines Please
written by Carol, September 12, 2010

I live on the north shore of Lake Ontario, where it can be quite windy. So far we have a mere 2 wind turbines that I see when I ride the commuter train into Toronto - one in Pickering, east of Toronto, and one on the CNE grounds in Toronto's central west lakeshore area. (The one at the CNE powers a hydrogen producing station for fuel cell vehicles, as a bonus.)I think wind turbine towers are graceful and beautiful, and Canada needs more of them. Anything that will make wind turbines more effective, cheaper and easier to build gets my support. Thanks for this article.

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