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A gravity-based structure (GBS) is a support structure held in place by
Early deployments of offshore
gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the str ...
, most notably offshore oil platforms
An oil platform (or oil rig, offshore platform, oil production platform, and similar terms) is a large structure with facilities to extract and process petroleum and natural gas that lie in rock formations beneath the seabed. Many oil platfo ...
. These structures are often constructed in fjords
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icela ...
due to their protected area and sufficient depth.
Offshore oil platforms
Prior to deployment, a study of the seabed must be done to ensure it can withstand the vertical load from the structure.Dean, E.T.R. (2010). Offshore Geotechnical Engineering - Principles and Practice. Thomas Telford, Reston, VA, U.S.A., 520 p. It is then constructed with steel reinforced concrete into tanks or cells, some of which are used to control the buoyancy. When construction is complete, the structure is towed to its intended location.Wind turbines
Early deployments of offshore wind power
Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels. Historicall ...
turbines used these structures. As of 2010, 14 of the world's offshore wind farms had some of their turbines supported by gravity-based structures. The deepest registered offshore wind farm with gravity-based structures is Thornton Bank 1, Belgium, with a depth up to 27.5 m. Newer generations of wind turbines are much larger, and deployed in deeper waters, gravity based structures are no longer considered competitive in comparison to support structures such as the floating moored.
See also
* Offshore concrete structure * List of tallest oil platforms * Troll A platform * Gullfaks C * Hibernia (oil field)References
Offshore engineering Structural engineering Oil platforms {{Engineering-stub