Reliability analysis of foundation stability for gravity platforms in the North Sea

1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tien H. Wu ◽  
Oddvar Kjekstad ◽  
In-Mo Lee ◽  
Suzanne Lacasse

The uncertainties encountered in the evaluation of foundation stability for four offshore gravity structures in the North Sea are reviewed. The uncertainties include those about the load, the material type, the material strength, and the analytical method. The means and coefficients of variations of these are used as inputs to compute the mean and coefficient of variation of the safety factor and the reliability index. The latter are used to assess the effect of various options in site exploration and strength measurement on foundation reliability. Key words: foundation, gravity platforms, offshore structures, probability, reliability, shear strength, site investigation, stability.

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan van der Molen ◽  
Luz María García-García ◽  
Paul Whomersley ◽  
Alexander Callaway ◽  
Paulette E. Posen ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Tor E. Berg ◽  
Gunnar Gudmundset ◽  
Ulf Klevstad

Recently there have been a number of incidents involving drifting ships and offshore structures in the North Sea. Increasing traffic density combined with harsher weather and less experienced crews has led the Norwegian Coastal Administration to focus on improving the skills of personnel on board emergency response vessels operating off the coast of Northern Norway. This is order to reduce the consequences of incidents with disabled vessels sailing in the vulnerable coastal environment of the Norwegian and Barents Seas. In addition to field exercises involving dedicated Norwegian emergency response vessels and different types of vessels made available by shipping companies, training takes place on full mission bridge simulators. As part of an ongoing R&D project, MARINTEK and SMS invite stakeholders to participate in short workshops on topics related to the specification of functional requirements for emergency towing vessels and the sharing of experience from recent emergency towing operations.


Author(s):  
John C. Roff ◽  
Ken Middlebrook ◽  
Frank Evans

All groups of meso- and macro-zooplankton in the North Sea off Northumberland, at a depth of 53 m, were studied during a 15-year period (1969–83); copepod productivity was estimated from biomass and growth rates. Phytoplankton were seasonally bi-modal with peaks in April and August–October; copepods were uni-modal peaking in June–July. The predatory zooplankters: larval fish, decapods, ctenophores, medusae (the summer-autumn predators) peaked between May and September, while chaetognaths and euphausiids (the winter predators) peaked in December–January. Copepods and the summer-autumn predators were seasonally and inter-annually positively correlated, and declined in abundance from 1974 to 1980. Euphausiids and chaetognaths on the contrary increased in abundance during these years, and were seasonally and inter-annually negatively correlated to the copepods. The mean annual abundance of copepods was positively related to the previous winter's minimum, and inversely related to the abundance of chaetognaths and euphausiids. Annual copepod productivity averaged 1260 kJ m-2 year-1, and showed no relationship to other groups of plankton.


1978 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.L. van Utrecht

Data and material are collected from 106 Harbour Porpoises (P. phocoena) from the southern part of the North Sea. All animals are accidentally caught or found stranded. The greatest length for males in the sample is 151 cm, for females 186 cm. For detailed analysis of body measurements, 30 males and 37 females are selected, while from 20 males and 34 females teeth are used for age analysis. The analysis of the body measurements shows sexual dimorphism in the anterior and posterior part of the back, in the flukes and flippers and in the position of the genital slit. The maximum number of dentinal layers found in the teeth is 12. Males attain sexual maturity after the deposition of 5 dentinal layers, females when 6 layers are formed, at a body length of about 135 cm and 150 cm, respectively. Some evidence is found that the population of P. phocoena from the North Sea has a lower growth rate than the population from Canadian waters. The gestation period is estimated to be eleven months, the peak of the birth period being in June. The animals are born at a length varying between 67 cm to 80 cm. Growth of the visceral organs is isogonic. The mean weight of the organs is greater in females than in males.


Author(s):  
D. Prandle

An estimate is made of the mean value of residual flow through the Dover Strait for each month over the 24–year period from 1949 to 1972. The estimates are based on results from a modelling investigation by Prandle (1978) where it was shown that the residual flow consists of three components, (a) a tidal residual, (b), a wind-driven residual and (c) a flow due to a long-term gradient in mean sea level. The components (a) and (c) are assumed to be constant and the value of (b) is deduced using wind data recorded by Dutch Light Vessels located in the southern North Sea.The mean flow over the whole period amounts to 155 × 103 m3 s–1 into the North Sea with a maximum value of 364 x 103 m3 s–1 and a minimum of – 15 × 103 m3 s–1 (out of the North Sea). One notable feature of the complete time series is the surprisingly small variation in the annual mean flows; perhaps this stability in the annual flow is of significance to the marine biology of the area.The validity of the computed time series is established by reference to comparable data including a 9–year record, from cross-channel submarine cables, of the potential induced by the flow of water through the Earth's magnetic field. Additional comparisons are also made with the results of a previous study of daily-mean flows.


Author(s):  
Inge Lotsberg

Fatigue design standards for offshore structures became needed with development of offshore structures in harsh environments like the North Sea during the 1970s. The Ultimate Limit State had earlier been the most significant design requirement for similar platforms in the Mexican Gulf being less utilized with respect fatigue. The need for fatigue design of ship structures became increased as more high strength steel was being used in these structures during the 1970s. The analysis method for long term loading and assessment of fatigue capacity has been improved over the years and this has also resulted in need for new and revised design standards. New types of structures and structural components have been developed like tension leg platforms and support structures for wind turbines. These structures are subjected to significant dynamic loading such that fatigue design becomes the main issue and relevant fatigue design standards are needed. Fatigue assessment of fixed offshore structures in the North Sea has been standard practice since the 1970s. Fatigue of floating platforms became a requirement after the accident with the Alexander Kielland platform in 1980. Later new types of structures have been installed in the North Sea such as tension leg platforms and floating production ships where fatigue has been an important part of the design. A further challenge with respect to fatigue came with the development of support structures for wind turbines to be installed in the sea. This paper gives an overview of the development of fatigue design standards for marine structures over the last 40 years. This includes the significance of refined calculation of long term stress range distribution, calculation of hot spot stress, size effect and effect of mean stress effect on fatigue design of ship structures.


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