ABSTRACT

Offshore units are known as complex facilities that can lead to serious impacts and losses, such as human lives, environmental disasters and the complete loss of the structure. In addition, since the cost associated to their construction and maintenance is very high, it is important to keep them fully operational throughout their whole service life. In this study, an impact analysis is performed that the loads arising when a vertical pile strikes against the side of a semisubmersible pontoon structure. Two cases are being investigated, such as one plane impact case with the vertical pile parallel to the pontoon side and one tilted platform case with a small angle between the vertical pile and the pontoon side. The results and insights developed from the present work are summarized.