Effects of Waves and Currents on Extreme Loads on a Jacket

In lack of simultaneous data of metocean parameters such as wind, waves, and currents, Norwegian design regulations presently recommend a conservative combination of metocean parameters for estimation of characteristic metocean loads on offshore structures. A simplified parametric load model for a jacket, based on waves and currents, is assumed. Several approaches to load estimation are investigated and the following are considered: different averaging length of extreme currents, the effect of peak-over-threshold approach for estimation of extreme wave and currents compared to all-sea states approach and extreme load estimation directly from a load time series. When compared to the recommended approach, all other approaches yield a reduced estimated characteristic metocean load. The purpose of this study is to indicate the possible conservatism in the Norwegian design regulations for estimation of quasi-static loads on a jacket. The results are intended to be illustrative and not suitable for use in specific design calculations.