Nonlinear behaviour of steel fixed offshore platform under environmental loads

What is it about?

The structural design requirements of an offshore platform subjected to wave-induced forces and moments in steel jacket can play a major role in the design of the offshore structures. For an economic and reliable design, good estimation of wave loadings is essential. The wave-and-current forces acting on the structure are computed by using Morison's equation, which decomposes the total force into an inertia component and a drag component. A nonlinear response analysis of a fixed offshore platform under wave loadings is presented; the structure is discretised using the finite element method. The dynamic response of the fixed offshore platform together with the distribution of displacement, axial force, and bending moment along the leg are investigated under regular and extreme conditions, where the structure should keep production capability under 1 year return period design wave of operation conditions and must be able to survive under the 100 year return period storm conditions. The result of this study shows that the nonlinear response investigation is quite crucial for the safe design and the operation of an offshore platform.

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