Simplified Fatigue Design Procedure For Offshore Structures

Abstract

A simplified yet comprehensive fatigue design procedure for tubular joints of offshore structures is developed. The allowable hot spot stress range for the fatigue design wave is derived as a function of a parameter which defines the structuralresponse. A procedure for calibrating the structural parameter to detailed fatigue analysis results is illustrated.

Fixed Offshore Platform Design

“…The derivation of the API Allowable Peak Hot Spot Stresses is outlined in API RP 2A 21st Edition Commentary Section C.5.1 and described in detail in Geyer and Stahl (1986). The method assumes the relation between the wave heights vs. number of waves exceeding this wave height in GOM as the superposition of two Weibull Distributions, one characterising the normal operating environment and the other representing the hurricane regime.…”