Application of the fracture mechanics model for offshore jacket structure's inspection purposes
- Pathum Thani, Thailand : Asian Institute of Technology, 2009
- 64 leaves : ill.
- Thesis ; no. OTM-09-14 .
- Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. OTM-09-14 .
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Offshore Technology and Management, School of Engineering and Technology
Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2009
The fatigue crack growth phenomenon of offshore platform structure is investigated. The probabilistic crack growth analysis of welded joint by fracture mechanics model is established and the result is calibrated to probabilistic SN model to obtain reliable variables for using in reliable crack growth calculation. The fatigue failure has long been recognized as the main structural criteria in offshore structural design. The fatigue capacity evaluation by SN approach has been used extensively in offshore industry due to its simplicity and well-established procedure. However, the need for the use of fracture mechanics is undeniable since the inspection and maintainability of welded joint in offshore structures are increasingly important and this will demand the usage of fracture mechanics to create the in-service inspection plan. The link between these two approaches is essential to develop an in-service inspection planning therefore the calibration between these two methods has to be carried out. The application of this study is demonstrated by comparing the number of inspected joint and recommended joint inspection time based on reliability method with those obtained from typical method.