Structural response to accidental explosions and fires on offshore process installations

Abstract

Abstract The potential for a release of hydrocarbons and subsequent explosion and fire on offshore process facilities is relatively high. This implies that explosion and fire events are normally defined as design accidental load situations. This definition means that the facilities have to be designed to an acceptable level of safety to resist such loads in order to protect personnel, environment, facilities and production income. A design for explosions and fires requires that protective measures have to be implemented. These may, for example, lead to increased dimensions of the structural system, equipment protection, additional safety systems etc. which increase the weight and costs of the facilities. Extensive research and development programmes have been carried out during the last decade in order to establish reliable methods which can be used in design for explosion and fires. This has led to improved simulation techniques and programs for the probability, loads and response to structures and equipment. Furthermore, the extensive testing programmes which have been carried out have led to an improved physical understanding of the behaviour during explosion and fire exposure. Such experience is of major importance to safety design work since it makes it easier to identify the real critical events, structures and equipment. Another important issue for the safety design of offshore process facilities has been the introduction of safety acceptance criteria. Such criteria may be expressed as upper acceptable risk levels for certain safety parameters such as personnel risk, damage to environment, damage to facilities, etc. The use of safety acceptance criteria allows for more flexible design development compared to the use of traditional rigid design requirements.