Offshore Structural Engineering

Reliability and Risk Assessment

Srinivasan Chandrasekaran

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781498765190
• eBook ISBN: 9781315350431
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Civil Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Successfully estimate risk and reliability, and produce innovative, yet reliable designs using the approaches outlined in Offshore Structural Engineering: Reliability and Risk Assessment. A hands-on guide for practicing professionals, this book covers the reliability of offshore structures with an emphasis on the safety and reliability of offshore facilities during analysis, design, inspection, and planning.

Since risk assessment and reliability estimates are often based on probability, the author utilizes concepts of probability and statistical analysis to address the risks and uncertainties involved in design. He explains the concepts with clear illustrations and tutorials, provides a chapter on probability theory, and covers various stages of the process that include data collection, analysis, design and construction, and commissioning.

In addition, the author discusses advances in geometric structural forms for deep-water oil exploration, the rational treatment of uncertainties in structural engineering, and the safety and serviceability of civil engineering and other offshore structures.

An invaluable guide to innovative and reliable structural design, this book:

• Defines the structural reliability theory
• Explains the reliability analysis of structures
• Examines the reliability of offshore structures
• Describes the probabilistic distribution for important loading variables
• Includes methods of reliability analysis
• Addresses risk assessment and more

Offshore Structural Engineering: Reliability and Risk Assessment

provides an in-depth analysis of risk analysis and assessment and highlights important aspects of offshore structural reliability. The book serves as a practical reference to engineers and students involved in naval architecture, ocean engineering, civil/structural, and petroleum engineering.

1	Concept of Probability and Sampling Statistics

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Construction of offshore structures targets deep and ultra-deep waters in search of oil and gas. In general, the structural forms of offshore structural systems are designed to remain flexible as they can alleviate the encountered environmental loads effectively; they are also required to remain robust and safe at all levels of operations (Srinivasan Chandrasekaran, 2014a,b,c,d, 2015a,b). New and innovative materials that are increasingly being used in the construction of offshore structures demand more detailed understanding of their mechanical properties under critical stages of functioning (Srinivasan Chandrasekaran, 2015c). While environmental loads that act on offshore structures are also complex in their action, their estimates also have many uncertainties (Tromans et al., 1992). Environmental loads are not completely known but only some of their features are known; few examples are wave loads, wind loads, ice loads in arctic regions, seismic loading on subsea systems, etc. Randomness in the environmental loading also increases these uncertainties during the planning, analysis, and design and construction stages. At all these stages (i) accuracy in estimating the above loads; and (ii) construction process and techniques used also add to a different level of complexities. Reliability tools are seen to be effective in handling this wide range of uncertainties (Assakkaf and Ayyub, 2000; Augusti et al., 1984).

Reliability methods have many advantages namely: (i) offering a realistic possession of uncertainties; (ii) offering methods to evaluate safety factors, which are otherwise chosen arbitrarily; (iii) offering decision-making support for more economic and better-b...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Preface
• Author
• Chapter 1 Concept of Probability and Sampling Statistics
• Chapter 2 Structural Reliability Theory
• Chapter 3 Reliability Analysis
• Chapter 4 Risk Assessment
• Model Exercise Papers
• References
• Index