Wrap it up
From welding to wrapping: rethinking the offshore joint
The familiar sound of welding echoes across the Smulders-HSM yard in Schiedam. But alongside the sparks and steel, a very different approach to offshore construction is taking shape.
In this new edition of GROW-to-GO, David de Jager visits the WrapNode II project to explore how composite joints could transform the way offshore wind foundations are built. Joined by Tim Kapteijn (Tree Composites) and Angeliki Christoforidou (TU Delft), the conversation dives into an innovation that replaces complex welded joints with composite connections that are lighter, stronger, and potentially far more durable.
Why does this matter? Offshore wind foundations require vast amounts of steel, thousands of welding hours, and are subject to decades of fatigue loading. WrapNode's composite joint technology could reduce steel use by up to 50%, cut welding hours by 80%, and significantly extend the lifetime of jacket structures. Recent large-scale tests delivered a remarkable result: even under extreme loading conditions, no signs of damage or degradation were observed.
Curious? Explore our web magazine and listen to the podcast here.
