Ovidius University Annals of Constructions

Volume 1, Number 3, 4,April 2002

The Safety of Offshore Structures

Alexandru CTRIG,

Ludovic KOPENETZ,

Simona DEUAN

Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, 3400, Romania

__________________________________________________________________________
Abstract: The crude oil exploitation equipment requires a special sustaining metallic structure. In Romania, a
country with a long tradition in crude oil exploitation, the height of the drilling equipment rises from 40 to 100
m. In the case of offshore exploitations, the sustaining structure has to be built on a marine platform, which can
be fixed or mobile. Although the use of steel or reinforced concrete structures was not a new problem in the
structural computation, the offshore conditions involved on them were a challenge to most of those involved in
structural analysis and design. An important component of the novelties in the field is the safety analysis due to
the environmental conditions. The study presents some new aspects of the structural safety analysis.
Keywords: Offshore structures, stress spectrum, structural analysis.
1. Introduction
The structural safety problems concerning the
design and building of offshore structures (Fig.1)
are very complex taking into account a lot of
aleatory variables (waves caused by wind and
earthquake, execution faults, corrosion, fatigue
effect, etc.) [1].
The ecological accidents from the marine
environment have generated extremely strict internal
and international standards to avoid new pollution of
the World Ocean extended to over 70% of the globe
surface.
In th is context, to design and build the offshore
structures from the Black Sea continental zone, the
Romanian specialists did their best at the level of
those years knowledge (1978-1990).
The severe exploitation conditions from the
marine environment and also the wrong structural
analysis approach were the source of some unwanted
accidents - The Sleipner offshore platform from the
Northern Sea [2], (Fig.2, 3), The steel offshore
structure in the brasilian territorial waters, etc.
The present paper tries to bring a modest
contribution regarding the structural analysis required
by the safety approach of offshore structure [3].

ISSN-12223-7221

Fig.1

2000 Ovidius University Press

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The Safety of Offshore Structures / Ovidius University Annals of Constructions 3,4, 361-366 (2002)

Fig.2

Fig.3

Alex. Ctrig et al./ Ovidius University Annals of Constructions 3,4, 361-366 (2002)
2. Some aspects of structural analysis
2.1. Computational models
Generally, actual modelling uses the Finite
Element Method for the structural analysis.
BEAM, SHELL, SOLID finite elements are the
most used.
The modelling of bar connections is made using
restraints and hinges (Fig.4).

363

Usually, the rag bolt modelling ignores the bolt

length and his diameter and the bolt nut dimensions.
Figure 6 presents a modelling scheme that compared
with the experimental results emphasize correctly
these aspects.
An extremely delicate problem turned up at lot
of offshore structures with trussed cantilever type
jacket: the fixing welding of leaning bars into the
vertical bars presents cracks (Fig.7, a).

Fig.4
The theoretical and experimental analysis show
the constraint sensible influence on stress status
(Fig.5).
From the authors experience follows that
the differences between the models that are not
taking into account the superposition and the
uncovered zones and the correctly performed
modelling are 3-5% for bending moments and 6-8%
for deflections.

The explanation consist of the fact that bar 2-3

is double restrained, with a big axial force N that
produces restraint moments with hyperbolic
variation. These moments can be emphasized only
using an extremely dense meshing and a higher order
calculus (Fig.7b,c). A similar phenomenon produced
the roof's crash of the "Kongresshalle" monumental
building from Berlin in the eighties, 23 years after its
construction.

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The Safety of Offshore Structures / Ovidius University Annals of Constructions 3,4, 361-366 (2002)

Fig.5

Fig.6

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365

Fig.7
2.2. Problems concerning the fatigue verification
[4] [12]
The tension gaps are determined after an elastic
analysis of the structure, usually from loads caused
by waves. The waves action is a dynamic one, similar

to the seismic action, but with an almost permanent

character. The loads caused by waves are obtained
from hydrodynamic analysis taking into account the
Froude-Krylov
components,
the
additional
hydrodynamic mass, etc.

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The Safety of Offshore Structures / Ovidius University Annals of Constructions 3,4, 361-366 (2002)

The methodology used for fatigue verification

are based on linear cumulating of damages, using
different standards:
- DnV - Det norske Veritas (Norway),
- GL - German Llyod (Germany),
- ECCS - European Steel Convention Standards,
- API - American Petroleum Institute (USA).
The authors recommend the permanent
monitoring of a number of vital joints for the
structures and a permanent comparison with a
Wohler curve, opening the possibility of an
immediate action when the stress spectrum
approaches the curve.
This procedure allows the measurement of
corrosion contribution at offshore structures.
The sea-waterproof tensometric stamps (already
in sale at reasonable prices) allow the monitoring
without special difficulties.
The numerical calculus of stress spectrum is
made using the "Reservoir" method.
3. Conclusions
- The offshore platform crashes caused by
structural analysis faults, even when high
performance programs were used, contribute to the
warning of engineers in the way of the acceptance
only of those results confirmed by a structural
analysis, simplified but not simplistic.
- A recently tracked down situation shows that
some parts of the most popular programs are not
applicable to solve some particular cases.
- The tackling of fatigue problems has to be
realized with permanent monitoring and comparison
of stress spectrums with a synthetic Wohler curve.

4. References
[1] Clauss, G., Lehmann, E., Ostergaard, C., Offshore
Structures, Springer Verlag, London, Berlin, New
York, 1992.
[2] Kopenetz, L., Ctrig, Al., Probleme de analiz
structural pentru consolidarea podurilor,
Simpozion Reabilitarea drumurilor i podurilor,
Cluj-Napoca, 2000.
[3] Ctrig, Al., Kopenetz, L., Alexa, P., Analysis
problems of tubular offshore structures,
Proceedings Seventh International Symposium
on Tubular Structures, Miskolc, Hungary, 1996,
pag. 415-420.
[4] Hauptmanns, U., Werner, W., Engineering Risks,
Springer Verlag, London, Berlin, New York,
1991.
[5] CECM/TC6,
Recommandations
pour
la
verification a la fatigue des structures en
acier, CTICM centre technique et industriel
pour la construction metallic, Saint-Remy les
Chevreuse, 1987.
[6] Haibach, E., Betriebsfestigkeit, VDI - Verlag,
Dusseldorf, 1989.
[7] EUROCODE-3, Design of Steel Structures, 1993,
EUROCODE-1, Basis of Design and Actions on
Structures, 1991.
[8] STAS 10108/0-1978, Design of Steel Structures
(In romanian).
[9] Dalban, C. i colectiv, Construcii metalice, Ed.
EDP, Bucureti, 1983.
[10] BRITISH STANDARD-BS 5400, part 10, Steel,
Concrete and Composite Bridges, Code of
Practice for Fatigue.
[11] RP2A-Recommended Practice for Planning,
Designing and Constructing Fixed Offshore
Platforms, Washington, American Petroleum
Institute, 1987-1989.
[12] API. RP2A - LRFD, Its Consequences for
Adaption to North Sea Offshore Design Practice,
Advanced Mechanics Engineering Ltd., 1991.