Multi-leg structures in ice - examining global loading uncertainties

• Main Authors: Barker, A., Sayed, M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Lulea University of Technology 2013
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/object/?id=e987d29a-ee8d-4e7e-871d-feccee175158; https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/fra/voir/objet/?id=e987d29a-ee8d-4e7e-871d-feccee175158

The ISO 19906 Arctic Offshore Standard (2010) represents a great advancement for standards as they pertain to Arctic engineering. However, uncertainties remain for a number of topic areas, including global loading on multi-leg structures in ice. These uncertainties include the effects of sheltering, the width of damaged ice and the effect of jamming. Additional uncertainties pertain to the effects of ridge loading and various ice properties. This paper numerically examines some of these uncertainties, through a parametric study approach. The results present the ice forces on a representative structure, as well as broken ice zone widths. The results show that peak loads are associated with ice drift at an angle, as observed in other laboratory and numerical simulations. In addition, loads increase with decreasing clearance between the legs. The results have applications not only for multi-leg oil and gas structures in ice-covered water, but could be further examined in the context of bridge piers and offshore fields of wind turbine towers. Peer reviewed: Yes NRC publication: Yes