Offshore structures and associated apparatus and methods

Abstract

The invention relates to structures, such as offshore structures, associated apparatus and methods. For example, the invention can relate to wind turbine structures, such as piles for offshore wind turbines, and associated apparatus and methods. In some examples, the invention relates to guide apparatus for offshore piles having a guide portion configured to provide an acoustic barrier between a pile and a surrounding body of water during deployment of a pile at a body of water. The apparatus may comprise a dampening structure, such as inflatable bladders, or the like, configured to provide the acoustic barrier. In some example, the guide apparatus comprises a piling template, configured to be positioned on a water floor, so that the guide portion can locate, and be positioned with, the template to allow for guiding of a pile to a water floor.

1 . A guide apparatus for an offshore pile, the apparatus comprising a guide portion configured to provide an acoustic barrier between a pile and a surrounding body of water during deployment of a pile at a body of water. 
     
     
         2 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a dampening structure configured to provide the acoustic barrier. 
     
     
         3 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the guide portion is configured such that the dampening structure abuts against a pile, when located with the guide portion. 
     
     
         4 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the dampening structure comprises a plurality of gas-Tillable bladders, configured to inflate and deflate. 
     
     
         5 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the apparatus comprise one or more dampening segments as the dampening structure, each dampening segment configured to surround a pile. 
     
     
         6 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the segments are configured to be opened and closed so as to surround a pile. 
     
     
         7 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the segments are configured to be inflatable so as to adopt a closed surrounding configuration, and wherein the segments are configured such that, when inflated, they bias to the closed configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein each segment comprises a material having a particular orientation across the segment, the material being permeable to fluid and being orientated radially to an axial centre line of the guide portion. 
     
     
         9 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus additionally comprises a piling template, the piling template being configured to be positioned on a water floor, and the guide portion being configured to locate, and be positioned with, the template to allow for guiding of a pile to a water floor. 
     
     
         10 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the piling template comprises a plurality of guide sockets, each guide socket configured to allow for location of a guide portion with the piling template and to allow for guiding of a pile to a water floor, wherein the guide apparatus is configured to allow for movement of the guide portion between the guide sockets. 
     
     
         11 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the guide sockets are circumferentially separated on the piling template, and wherein the apparatus is configured to move the guide portion in an arcuate manner between guide sockets. 
     
     
         12 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide portion is separable to allow a pile to be positioned within the guide portion. 
     
     
         13 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the guide portion comprises an open configuration and a closed configuration, the guide portion can be openable and closable along a lengthwise body axis so as to allow the insertion of a pile. 
     
     
         14 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the guide portion comprises two or more segmented portions, at least one of which is movable so as to open and close around a pile. 
     
     
         15 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the guide portion and the piling template comprise complementary mating elements to allow the guide portion to mate with a particular socket when the guide portion is in a closed configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The guide apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the piling template comprises one or more stabilisers, configured to stabilise and/or orientate the apparatus with a water floor, when deployed, and wherein the or each stabiliser has a stowed and a deployed configuration. 
     
     
         17 . A method for deploying an offshore pile at an offshore site, comprising:
 locating an offshore pile with a guide portion of guide apparatus at an offshore site and providing an acoustic barrier between the pile and a body of water, then   securing the pile to a water floor at the offshore site.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the acoustic barrier is provided by surrounding the pile with a gas-filled dampening structure. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the apparatus additionally comprises a piling template, the piling template having two or more guide sockets for locating the guide portion with the piling template, and the method further comprising
 subsequent to securing the pile, moving the guide portion to a second socket so as to allow for securing of a second pile.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the step of locating the offshore pile with the guide portion offshore site comprising:
 receiving the pile within the guide portion in an open configuration, and   closing the guide portion around the received pile so as to partially or fully surrounding the pile.