Proceedings of the Third (1993) International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference
Singapore, 6-II June 1993
Copyright © 1993 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers
ISBN 1-880653-05-2 (Set); ISBN 1-880653-07-9 (Vol II)
Chul H. Jo
HyundaiHeavyIndustryCo., Ltd.
Ulsan,Korea
Two surface pipeline installation methods, S-Lay and J-Lay, are
investigated for various water depth and pipe size. With
respect to pipe support conditions and pipe configuration at the
surface, there are significant differences between the two
methods. This paper discusses the differences of the two
methods and evaluates the limitations and requirements of both
methods. The restrictions of horizontal tension and the
departure angle of the conventional S-Lay installation were
investigated with respect to pipe diameter and water depth. The
depth and diameter limitations for J- Lay installation were also
discussed.
Offshore pipeline has been laid by S-Lay, Reel Method, J-Lay,
Bottom Tow and Surface Tow methods. However most
existing offshore pipelines have been installed by the S-Lay and
reel methods. Selection of pipelay method is dependent on pipe
type, barge category, water depth and current loading. Between
S-Lay and J-Lay, there are significant differences mainly in the
system to control the horizontal tension to limit sagbend strain,
the proficiency for applying axial tension at the surface and
ability to accommodate pipe departure angle. The pipe span
during installation is influenced by water depth, pipe submerged
weight and horizontal pipe tension. Also during installation, the
suspended pipe can be subject to vibrations caused by vortex
shedding. Due to the numerous parameter to be considered
when selecting the appropriate method, the parametric
limitations of S-Lay and J-Lay methods are investigated.
For the S-Lay method, pipe JOInts are welded nearly
horizontally and lowered over a stinger achieving the required
departure angle. There are barges available which are capable
of laying pipelines in water depths to 300 meters based on
equipped tensioner, mooring and stinger capacities. The major
aspects of pipeline design which influence the suitability of the
S-Lay method are pipe diameter, maximum water depth and
submerged weight. The laybarge must have the proper
combination of tensioning capacity and stinger tip angle to
avoid the pipe from over-stressing over the last roller of the
stinger. In addition, the vessel must be capable of providing
the horizontal thrust necessary to maintain the proper pipe
geometry and sagbend strain. This can be achieved through an
anchor mooring or dynamic positioning system.
The relationship between diameter, depth, axial tension and
required angle at the stinger can be approximated based on
appropriate design criteria. Figure 1 shows the limit of S-curve
method between pipe diameter and water depth. Two types of
laybarge, 2nd generation and 3rd generation have been
considered. Several available barge information were plugged
into a program to analyze the pipelay stress. The minimum
allowable axial tensions for a sagbend strain of 0.001 and
maximum tensions for axial stress equal to 20 percent of yield
strength have been applied.
The achievable stinger end angle is primarily controlled by
stinger length, minimumoverbend radius, and limitations on the
bending radius imposed by the stinger design. The minimum
pipe radius over the stinger is typically set to maintain a
bending stress between 75 and 90 percent of the SMYS. For