Offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are subjected to severe wind and wave loading, and this call for a comprehensive study, taking into consideration, the combined effect of the two systems. Also, soil-structure interaction (SSI) becomes important, as the turbines are sited in soft marine strata. Here, a 5-MW OWT has been analyzed by considering aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads, using a commercial finite element (FE) code. The OWT is checked for failure, with respect to existing criteria. A water depth of 20 m is considered, together with soil, wave and wind conditions prevailing offshore of the west coast of India. The importance of considering SSI is highlighted.

Keywords: Offshore wind turbine, Aerodynamic loading, Soil-structure interaction.