“THE FOURTH SAUDI ENGINEERING CONFERENCE, NOV. 1995 - VOLUME IL Spectral Fatigue Analysis For Offshore Piatform Structural Joints K. M, Kusmez, A. M. Radwan, A, A, Al-Sharif Saudi Arabian Git Company, Dhattran, Saudi Arabia ABSTRACT: In order to determine the relative fatigue life of underwater offshore platform joints, Spectral Fatigue Analysis of several offshore platforms haye becn performed. Wave loading on the offshore platforms were represented in speciral formal. Fatigue strength of the joints was represented by means of S- N curves commonly used in the industry. Palmgren-Miner rule was used 10 calculate the cumulative fatigue damage, Faligue life was then oblained from the cumulative fatigue damage at each joint, 1, INTRODUCTION Fatigue bas Jong been recognized as an important consideration for designing offshore structures, (Ref 1.) Until the recent developments in hardware capabilities, however, only simplified fatigue analyses were possible to perform (Ref. 2). Furthermore, the random nature of the loads in the offshore environment necessitates the use of probabilistic methods in fatigue assessment, (Ref. 3.) A summary of the recent developments is given in Ref 4 The present work makes use of the computational power of the desk top computers and uses the spectral method to determine the fatigue liffe of underwater joints ‘This paper summarizes the method and results obtained so far in a continuing study to determine the fatigue life of typical underwater joints of selected offshore platforms. ‘The results of the study are used to rank the underwater joints and place them into categories with respect to their calculated fatigue lives. The inspection frequency as well as the technique and level of inspection are also based on this classification and also on the general guidelines provided in the API RP-2A, (Ref. 5). This provides the basis of an individualized inspection program developed for each platform. 2. PROCEDURE StraCAD*3D, a structural analysis computer program, was used for calculating the fatigue life of the various joints, (Ref. 6). StraCAD*3D is an interactive, graphics-oriented program for structural engineering with fatigue analysis capability that follows the general guidelines provided in API RP-2A. Primary components of StruCAD*3D consist of two preprocessing modules, ALPHA and BETA, a graphical post processing module, OMEGA, and the NOAH module where the analysis is performed. A useful feature of the NOAH module is that it has a built-in capability to calculate the Stress Concentration Factors (SCFs) a8 a function of the joint geometry and the loading, Calculation of the SCFs is performed in accordance with the “alpha-method" as prescribed in the API RP-2A. To accurately mode) the platforms ihe required design data are retrieved. ‘These include the “As Built” drawings, pile and soil data, environmental data and any existing inspection reports. Using the ALPHA and BETA preprocessing modules of the StruCAD*3D, each 83platform has been modeled including the jacket, deck and the piling. The existing deck loads ‘were estimated based on drawings and field trips 2.1 Data Analysis Fatigue analysis may be performed in the frequency (spectral) or deterministic domain. In this study, spectral fatigue analysis was used. In spectral fatigue analysis, waves imposed on a platform throughout its life are represented by “wave spectra" or “sea states.” Table | displays typical wave data distribution in the Arabian Gulf, where the platforms analyzed are located. Each entry in the table corresponds to percent occurrence of a" sea state" expected during the life of the platform, Each sea state is represented by a "Significant Wave Height", H,, and a dominant period, T,, where, H, is a statistical quantity representing the average of the highest one third of the waves in a wave group. Ty represents the wave period associated with the maximum enesgy in the group, (Ref. 7). For each direction, relative to the "North", there are several sea states that occur. An examination of Table 1 shows that there are 131 Sea States from sixteen directions expected to occur in the Arabian Gulf during the lifetime of the platforms. Each Sea State is required to be represented by several waves in the structural computer program. 2.2 Soil Data To determine the prevailing soil conditions at the platform site existing soil boring data were used. The lateral soil strength, skin friction, and tip resistance of the platform piles are represented by their lateral toad-deflection, “p-y"; vertical friction, "t-2"; and end bearing- deflection, "q-2" curves respectively 2.3 Structural Modeling Structural modeling of the platforms is performed using the "As Built” drawings. Since the primary concern was the fatigue of the underwater joints, deck structure was modeled in a simplified fashion. Deck loads as well as the loads from the connecting bridge were included in the model The jacket was modeled as accurately as the drawings indicated. Particular attention was paid to the boat landings, conductors, sump casings and risers since they receive significant amount af wave loads during weak and moderate storms that are important for fatigue analysis. Joint cans were also modeled as indicated on the drawings. Modeling of the jacket leg, piling and grout, when it is used, was done accurately since’ overall structural strength is highly dependent upon grouting of the annulus between the jacket leg and the piling. Available pile driving records were used 10 specify the pile penetations. Whenever available, previous inspection reports were used to account for marine growth. 2.4 Static Analysis To verify the structural integrity and to ascertain the accuracy of the model and also to identify the joints and members with high stresses, a static in-place run was made. The static in-place run was made with 100-year waves from the directions, including the appropriate wind and current. 842.5 Fatigue Analysis 2.5.1 Spectral representation of waves: As indicated above, wave data is discretized into Tepresentative sea states at the primary wave directions. Each sea state is represented by its dominant wave period and significant wave height Table 1. We assumed that "Power Spectral Density Function" for each sea state can be represented by Pierson-Moskowitz (P-M) wave spectrum. For each percent occurrence in the directional scatter diagram, P-M spectrum gives a closed form numerical description of the particular sea state, indicating the energy content of waves, at each frequency, within the sea state, (Ref. 7) 2.5.2 Stress range spectrum: To perform fatigue analysis at a joint, a stress range spectrum was required for each sea state described by its P-M equation, Similar to wave spectrum, a stress tange spectrum describes the stresses at a joint as function of the wave frequency. Stress range spectrum was obtained from the wave spectrum as explained below For all the waves within the same sea state, a representative constant wave steepness of 1/20 was assumed. From this steepness, wave heights were determined for each of the frequencies within the P-M spectrum encompassing the band of frequencies within the spectrum. After the period and the height of a wave in the spectrum were determined, this wave was passed through the structure and the bending and axial stress components at each joint were calculated. The program then internally computed the Stress Concentration Factors (SCF's) and multiplied the stresses by these SCFs to obtain the "hot spot" stressed at the joint, At a joint, the expression for stresses corresponding to each wave frequency obtained in this manner is called Transfer Function for Stress Ranges for that joint. Next, the Power Spectral Density Function (PSDF) for the waves and the Transfer Function for Stress Ranges are multiplied. The resulting expression is called PSDF for the stress ranges for the particular sea state at the joint under consideration. The above procedure is repeated at each of the selected underwater joints for all sea states. 2.5.3 Fatigue damage: It has been experimentally established that there is a relationship between the stress range applied at a joint, S, and the number of cycles until failure, N, under that stress range. This relationship is in the form of N S’=c, where b and c are constants. If bas been known in the experiments that there is scatter in the N values under a constant stress tange S. This scatter is more prominent in the low stress range regions. To account for this scatter regression analysis is used in the linearised form of the S-N relationship. In this study the S-N curve given by the API RP-2A and designated as the "X'-X' Curve" was used (Ref. 5) Assume that, at a joint under consideration, a particular wave causes a siress range of s, and another wave causes a stress range of s;. The stress ranges s, and s, are obtained from the StruCAD*3D (Ref. 6) analyses made for each wave. Further assume that these waves are repeated n, and nj times, respectively. From the S-N curve, the N, and N, values are obtained corresponding to the stress ranges s, and s;. Then, according to the Palmgren-Miner rule, the cumulative fatigue damage at this joint would be D = n,/Ny~" n/N The next task is therefore to calculate the number of waves, n(3), causing the particular stress range 's" for a given sea state.