In order to evaluate the influence of bulkheads on the bearing capacity of bucket foundation

a series of comparative model experiments is conducted on two identical steel buckets

one with bulkheads and the other without. The load-displacement curves under the combined action of horizontal load and bending moment or under vertical load

the distribution of the soil pressure on the inner

outer and upper walls of the bucket are obtained by the experiment individually. Finite element simulation is performed at the same time. The experimental and numerical results show that under vertical load

the bearing capacity of bucket foundation with bulkheads is a slightly higher than that of the foundation without bulkheads. The bulkheads share the vertical loads from the cover and sidewall

cutting the load applied on the cover. Under combined action of horizontal load and bending moment

the bulkheads provide large pulling resistance for the foundation

improving the ultimate bearing capacity by 20.2%

and reducing the ultimate horizontal displacement and angle. In a word

bulkheads can not only improve the stability during towing

but also increase the ultimate bearing capacity of offshore wind turbine foundation during the operation.