Probabilistic seismic performance assessment of offshore jacket structures as a basis for engineering decision-making

Abstract

Jacket structures play an ever-increasing role in meeting the world’s burgeoning energy demand by providing support structure for exploiting offshore wind energy and oil and gas resources. Many of these structures are past their design lifetimes, and thus may have suffered significant degradation, highlighting the importance of investigating their earthquake response in seismically active regions. This study investigates the seismic performance of a typical offshore jacket platform, denoted as baseline structure, as well as four versions with two longer (25% and 50% larger) and two shorter (25% and 50% smaller) natural vibration periods accounting for two levels of degradation and retrofit effects on structural performance. For each case, eleven ensembles of ground motions compatible with the site’s seismic hazard are selected using the generalized conditional intensity measure methodology. The loading uncertainty is incorporated in the performance assessment procedure via probabilistic seismic demand analysis and the demand hazard is quantified. The results provide valuable information regarding reliability of these structures both at design stage and during service life, which can aid decision-making around rehabilitation of older platforms, the suitability of reusing obsolete platforms beyond service lifetime, and risk-based design of new platforms.