RELIABILITY-BASED ASSESSMENT ON STIFFENED PANEL OF DEEP-WATER PLATFORM

Stiffened panel is an important component of floating structures in deep water. This paper analyses of ultimate strength of stiffened panel corresponding to different failure modes. The ultimate limit state(ULS) equations are established. On the base of these equations, the safety assessments of the stiffened panel are conducted by reliability method. The reliability index is compared with the target reliability. The comparison indicates that there is no obvious correlation between different failure modes so that each failure mode could be analyzed individually. In addition, the reliability analysis is more reasonable than deterministic analysis. The method has been illustrated through application to an actual stiffen panel of a Tension Leg Platform. Advantages of the proposed method for assessment the safety of the stiffen panel is also highlighted.