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U.S. Department of Energy
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Nonlinear deterministic analysis versus reliability study for the reassessment of a jacket

Conference ·
OSTI ID:55790
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Elf Aquitaine Production, Pau (France). Dept. of Offshore Structures

Structural reliability analysis techniques have considerably evolved in the last decade. In the meantime, non-linear deterministic methods for progressive collapse analyses of jacket structures have also much improved. This paper presents the results of a reassessment of a six-leg jacket in the Gulf of Guinea using both methods. The weakness of this jacket is located in the bearing capacity of the foundation piles. The reliability analysis was performed using standard structural components which may fail according to several failure modes (tension, buckling, compression, plastic hinge, ...) and a new specific pile foundation element which fails according to two modes (loss of bearing capacity in tension or in compression). When this pile element fails, it does not break as a usual structural element. Rather the element offers no tangential resistance to friction. The non-linear deterministic analysis was carried out using the USFOS software (SINTEF) including a non-linear soil foundation model. This study highlights the importance of the foundation model which is found to be critical in the reassessment results.

OSTI ID:
55790
Report Number(s):
CONF-940230--; ISBN 0-7918-1265-0
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English