Fracture Mechanics Models for Fatigue Assessment of Jack‐Up Tubular Joints

Abstract

In this article, a comprehensive summary is given on the development of facture mechanics models for fatigue assessment of jack‐up tubular joints. This summary is largely based on the research works conducted by the authors together with their research students when they were working at the Nanyang Technological University ( NTU ), Singapore. These studies embraced a number of experimental and numerical studies on many types of welded tubular joints that are commonly found in offshore jack‐up structures. The main research efforts were focused on the development of research methodologies, new modeling, and assessment tools that are applicable to different types of tubular joints. On the basis of the key findings obtained from the studies, suitable fracture mechanics models for fatigue assessments are established and those parameters that critically affect the fatigue performance of tubular joints are identified.