Performance-Based Analysis of Wind-Survivability for Large Offshore Jacket Platforms Subject to Hurricane

Abstract

In connection with wind sensitivity for the large towering and open truss-type offshore jacket platforms subject to hurricanes, the wind-survivability of this large structure has attracted more attention. An innovative wind-survivability framework for the large offshore jacket platform is presented based on the performance-based analysis in this paper. The damage states of a large offshore jacket platform located in the South China Sea are divided into five grades DS1 ∼ DS5 under hurricanes, including intact, minor damage, moderate damage, severely damaged and collapsed, also the corresponding ultimate damage states LS1 ∼ LS4 are defined and derived. The results show that the braces yield failure on the bottom and top horns of the derrick are the main failure modes of the large jacket platform, which should be stronger reinforced to ensure their safety performances; the different ultimate damage state determination factors have a little influence on the wind-survivability envelopes of the jacket platform; the hurricane return period for the minor damage of the towering derrick is about 15 years, also the moderate damage is about 25 years, the severely damaged is about 165 years and the collapsed is about 225 years.