Analysis of Collision Protection for Ocean and Offshore Structures

1 .Introduction Many accidents of ocean and offshore structuresinvolve impact loadings .Some famous ship colli-sion cases arethe Tj rn Bridge (Sweden) ,the West Bridge of the Great Belt Link (Denmark) andtheMaracaibo Bridge (Venezuela) . Most studies usedthe Hertzian contact law(Zukaset al .,1982) tocalculate the impact force and analyze structures subjectedtoimpact loadings .Other alternative meth-ods such as the spring-dashpot and momentumbalance methods utilizedthe coefficient of rest…     

Analytic Solution of Elasto-Plastic Stress in Infinite Slope under Uniform Load

-According to the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion,the stress field of the infinite slope is derivedunder a vertical uniform load q on the top of the slope.It is indicated that elastic and elasto-plastic stateswould occur in the slope.When q is smaller than the critical load,q_p,the slope is in the elastic state.Ifq equals q_p,the slope is in the critical state,and the plastic deformation would occur along the critical an-gle.With the increase of q,the plastic zone would extend,and the slope is in the elasto-plastic state.Ifq equals limit load,the slope is in the limit equilibrium state.The slope may be divided into three zones.Some charts of the critical angle,the critical and limit load coefficients are presented in this paper.     

非共轴本构模型在吸力桶地基承载力

土体在剪切变形过程中产生主应力方向的旋转时,主应变率方向与主应力方向之间存在着非共轴现象,然而,传统的弹塑性本构模型并不能考虑该现象的影响。通过在传统本构模型屈服面的切线方向增加一项非共轴塑性应变率,即可实现对非共轴现象的反映。利用有限元软件ABAQUS的材料子程序接口UMAT,通过显式积分算法和自动分步方法实现了非共轴模型在有限元分析中的应用。首先,对砂土的单剪试验进行数值模拟,预测了主应力方向和主应变率方向之间的关系,所得结论与试验结果较为吻合。然后,针对吸力桶与砂质地基间的相互作用问题进行弹塑性有限元计算,分析了土体主应力方向在剪切变形过程中的旋转规律,以及桶体的端部阻力、侧壁摩擦阻力和顶部阻力在变形过程中的变化规律。最后,检验了非共轴现象对地基承载力计算结果的影响。研究结果表明,所开发的非共轴模型对非共轴现象具有良好的预测能力。     

An Improved Formulation for the Ultimate Static Strength of Tubular Joints subjected to Combined Loads

"The effect of interaction of loads on the ultimate static strength of tubular joints of offshore fixed platforms, is a practical problem. But there is still absence of rigorous theory to explain available experimental data and empirical criteria for the static strength of tubular joints. The idea of yield at hot spot of tubular joints is introduced in this paper. The interaction equations of plastic capacity for the tubular joints under combined loads (two and three different kinds) are derived. Thereafter the Yura's test data and empirical criteria of ultimate static strength for the tubular joints can be explained. The idea of classification of category of loads in accordance with experimental data and the present theory is suggested. Finally, the improved ultimate capacity equations for tubular joints are recommended. The physical significance of the coefficient of plastic reservation Qp is discussed.     

Numerical analysis of suction embedded plate anchors in structured clay

As offshore energy developments move towards deeper water, moored floating production facilities are increasingly preferred to fixed structures. Anchoring systems are therefore of great interest to engineers working on deep water developments. Suction embedded plate anchors (SEPLAs) are rapidly becoming a popular solution, possessing a more accurate and predictable installation process compared to traditional alternatives. In this paper, finite element analysis has been conducted to evaluate the ultimate pullout capacity of SEPLAs in a range of post-keying configurations. Previous numerical studies of anchor pullout capacity have generally treated the soil as an elastic-perfectly plastic medium. However, the mechanical behaviour of natural clays is affected by inter-particle bonding, or structure, which cannot be accounted for using simple elasto-plastic models. Here, an advanced constitutive model formulated within the kinematic hardening framework is used to accurately predict the degradation of structure as an anchor embedded in a natural soft clay deposit is loaded to its pullout capacity. In comparison with an idealised, non-softening clay, the degradation of clay structure due to plastic strains in the soil mass results in a lower pullout capacity factor, a quantity commonly used in design, and a more complex load–displacement relationship. It can be concluded that clay structure has an important effect on the pullout behaviour of plate anchors.     

Characteristics of Deformation and Strength of Concrete in Plane Strain State

- The characteristics of deformation and strength of concrete under the plane strain condition are studied experimentally with the triaxial apparatus designed by the authors and are compared with those under the plane stress condition. A formula of stress transformation between plane stress and plane strain conditions is proposed for the elasto-plastic state, and it provides a theoretical basis for simplifying nonlinear analysis and fully using the strength of concrete.     

Theoretical assessment of burst failure of internally pressurized defect-free pipelines with plastic anisotropy

In the framework of finite deformation theory, the burst failure analysis of end-opened defect-free pipes with plastic anisotropy under internal pressure is carried out. The analytical solutions of burst pressure and the corresponding equivalent stress and strain are obtained for thin-walled pipes, which can take into account the effects of material plastic anisotropy and strain hardening exponent. The influences of plastic anisotropy on the burst pressure and the corresponding equivalent stress and strain are discussed. It is shown that the burst pressure and the corresponding equivalent stress and strain are dependent upon the plastic anisotropy of material, and the degree of dependence is related to the strain hardening exponent of material. In addition, the effects of the strain hardening exponent on burst failure are investigated.     

管节点与船舶甲板结构中疲劳裂纹扩展方向的研究

线性断裂力学中研究裂纹的扩展通常用应力强度因子的断裂准则，但是对复合型裂纹，应力强度因子理论就发生了困难。本文用光弹性方法求得裂纹前缘的应力强度因子，然后用应变能密度因子理论研究了船舶大开口舱口角隅处疲劳裂纹和Ｔ型管节点热点处表面裂纹的扩展规律和方向，得到较好的结果     

Unified numerical study of shallow foundation on structured soft clay under unconsolidated and consolidated-undrained loadings

Abstract

Based on a new elasto-plastic constitutive model, this paper presents a soil–water coupled numerical prediction of the bearing capacity for shallow foundation constructed on Ballina soft clay for unconsolidated undrained (UU) and consolidated undrained (CU) conditions. This elasto-plastic constitutive Shanghai model has an advantage of describing the mechanical behaviour of over-consolidated and structured soil under different loading and drainage conditions, by using one set of material parameter. In this paper, the Shanghai model used for both UU and CU conditions has the same initial parameters obtained from laboratory test results. The loading conditions and consolidation stages vary based on construction details. The predicted bearing pressure-settlement responses for UU and CU, approves the field observation. The phenomenon of gaining the bearing capacity due to consolidation is captured and explained by the use of soil–water coupled numerical analysis with a new elasto-plastic model. The stress strain behaviour, stress paths and the decay of the structure of elements at different depths presented in this study, reveal the mechanism for the difference between UU and CU conditions to understand the foundation behaviour. Effect of the initial degree of soil structure on the bearing capacity is also addressed. Overall, this approach provides the integrated solution for the shallow foundation design problems under short and long-term loadings.     

Impact Buckling and Post-Buckling of Elasto-Viscoplastic Cylindrical Shell Under Torsion

The dynamic torsional buckling and post-buckling of elasto-plastic circular cylindrical shell isstudied.By the usage of the Bodner-Partom constitutive relation,the present visco-plastic problem is treat-ed as an orthotropic elastic problem.Based on the nonlinear large deflection shell therory,the governingdynamic buckling equation is solved by the Runge-Kutta method,and the critical buckling stress is deter-mined by the B-R criterion.The present paper is mainly focused on the imperfection sensitivity,the strainrate sensitivity,and the dynamic post-buckling characters for the shell loaded dynamically with a constantshear strain rate.Numerical results show that the critical shear stress and imperfection sensitivity will in-crease with the increase of strain rate.It is found that the elastic buckling stress is more sensitive toimperfection than the visco-plastic buckling.The present research also reveals some dynamic post-bucklingcharacters for the cylindrical shell,and it is shown that the shell will vibra     

Dynamic Buckling of Elasto-Plastic Cylindrical Shells Under Axial Fluid-Solid Impact Load

- The dynamic buckling of elasto-plastic cylindrical shells under axial fluid-solid impact is investigated theoretically. A simplified liquid- gas- structure model is given to approximately imitate the problem. The basic equation of the structure is derived from a minimum principle in dynamics of elasto-plastic continua at finite deformation, and the flow theory of plasticity is employed. The liquid is incompressible and the gas is compressed adiabatically. A number of numerical results are presented and the characteristics of the buckling behavior under fluid-solid impact are illustrated.     

Pipe laying simulation with an active reel drive

Dynamic and quasi-static models for analysis of a pipe lay spread are presented in the paper. Depending on the type of a pipe, spooling it on a big drum (reel) may cause plastic deformations. When the pipe is reeled out at sea, again it undergoes plastic deformations. In order to model such a nonlinear behaviour, a model, which includes both elasto-plastic material characteristics and large deformations, is required. Discretisation of the pipe is performed by means of the Rigid Finite Element Method (RFEM), which allows us to study static and dynamic problems, taking into account required properties of the model. Different sea conditions are simulated and analysed. It is shown how operational conditions can limit the ability of laying operation by a dedicated vessel, due to an unstable system response. The second part of the paper presents an upgrade of a passive reel drive by application of an active drive. In the model used for control applications, the pipe is modelled by a neural network. This allows us to perform a real-time calculations. In this fast-response calculation model, nonlinear aspects of the system are taken into account. The improvements in a pipe laying vessel performance are presented by some results of numerical simulations. The conclusions are also formulated.     

Numerical analysis and centrifuge modeling of shallow foundations

The influence of non-coaxial constitutive model on predictions of dense sand behavior is investigated in this paper. The non-coaxial model with strain softening plasticity is applied into finite-element program ABAQUS, which is first used to predict the stress-strain behavior and the non-coaxial characteristic between the orientations of the principal stress and principal plastic strain rate in simple shear tests. The model is also used to predict load settlement responses and bearing capacity factors of shallow foundations. A series of centrifuge tests for shallow foundations on saturated dense sand are performed under drained conditions and the test results are compared with the corresponding numerical results. Various footing dimensions, depths of embedment, and footing shapes are considered in these tests. In view of the load settlement relationships, the stiffness of the load-displacement curves is significantly affected by the non-coaxial model compared with those predicted by the coaxial model, and a lower value of non-coaxial modulus gives a softer response. Considering the soil behavior at failure, the coaxial model predictions of bearing capacity factors are more advanced than those of centrifuge test results and the non-coaxial model results;besides, the non-coaxial model gives better predictions. The non-coaxial model predictions are closer to those of the centrifuge results when a proper non-coaxial plastic modulus is chosen.     

Effect of geometric and material discontinuities on the reeling of pipelines

The winding and unwinding of a pipeline onto a large diameter reel as practiced in the reeling installation method, induces bending strains of 1–3% followed by straightening, and reverse bending. The operator must ensure that such plastic deformations are sustained free of local buckling or rupture in the line. Such failures are for example precipitated by pipeline discontinuities in wall thickness and yield stress as they act as stress risers, lead to localized deformations severe enough to result in local buckling. The effect of such discontinuities is studied using a large-scale nonlinear finite element model that simulates the reeling/unreeling of a pipeline. Nonlinear kinematic hardening is used to capture the elasto-plastic behavior of the material imposed by the bending/reverse bending history. Discontinuities in wall thickness and yield stress are shown to result in sharp local changes in curvature that extend over 3–4 pipe diameters accompanied by severe local straining and ovalization. The extent of the disturbance is governed by the bending strain imposed by the ratio of pipe to reel diameter. It can be reduced by an increase in the applied tension but at the expense of additional ovalization of the pipeline. It can also be reduced by increasing the pipe wall thickness but with the consequent increase in costs. A parametric study of the effect of such discontinuities demonstrates that for some combinations of process parameters, the disturbance can lead to local buckling either during winding or unwinding. It is concluded that a modeling framework such as the one presented should be used to generate a design protocol for reel-installed pipelines.     

A design chart for the plastic collapse of corrugated cylinders under external pressure

The paper presents a theoretical and an experimental investigation into the plastic collapse of circular steel corrugated cylinders under external hydrostatic pressure. The experimental investigation gives a detailed study of 9 steel corrugated cylinders which were tested to destruction. Six of these cylinders failed by plastic non-symmetric bifurcation buckling and three failed by plastic axisymmetric deformation. The results of these tests were used, together with the results obtained from previous tests, to present a design chart for the plastic collapse of these vessels. The design chart was obtained by a semi-empirical approach, where the thinness ratios of the vessels were plotted against their plastic knockdown factors. The process of using the design chart is to calculate the theoretical elastic instability pressure for a perfect vessel by the finite element method and also to calculate the thinness ratio for this vessel. Using the appropriate value of the thinness ratio, the plastic knockdown factors are obtained from the design chart. To obtain the actual collapse pressure of the vessel, the theoretical elastic instability pressure for a perfect vessel is divided by the plastic knockdown factor. This work is of importance in ocean engineering. A large safety factor must also be introduced.     

A Ring Model for Limit Analysis of Spatial XX Tubular Joints

-A ring model is developed to investigate the ultimate strength of tubular X and XX joints in the case that the brace is compressed. In the present analysis, the tubular joint is made of elasto-perfectly-plastic material, and the arch element of the chord section intersecting with the brace is assumed to be rigid. It is found that when 6 plastic hinges for X joint and 8 plastic hinges Tor XX joint appear in the ring, the limit state is reached, and by means of the equivalent ring width Be formula proposed in a previous paper by the authors, the ultimate strength of tubular X and XX joints subjected to compression can be obtained.     

块石和混凝土排垫保护下海底管道落锚撞击变形响应研究

以往的海底管道落锚撞击防护数值模拟主要为单一保护层模型,这里则针对块石+混凝土排垫复合方案建立模型并开展防护性能研究。基于ABAQUS建立有限元数值模型,模拟了落锚、海底管道、海床土体、块石层和混凝土排垫组成的复杂系统相互作用,研究了管道壁厚、内压,落锚质量和撞击速度等因素对管道应变极值和管体凹陷变形的影响。与单纯块石层保护方案相比,采用的块石+混凝土排垫方案具有更优良的防护效果。研究结果表明：在撞击点处,管道的轴向应变和环向应变均达到最大值,且随着与撞击点距离的增加沿管道轴向逐渐减小;撞击结束后,管道上仍然残留一定的塑性应变。随着管道壁厚的增加,管道的最大应变和凹陷深度也随之减小;随着内压的增加,管道上最大拉伸应变变大,而最大压缩应变和凹陷深度减小。随着落锚速度或者质量的增加,管道上最大应变和凹痕深度均变大;在相同动能情况下,管道上的最大应变和凹陷值基本相同,也表明落锚动能是影响管道变形响应的控制因素。本文研究成果可为海底管道防护方案设计提供科学依据。     

Comparative studies of fracture models for marine structural steels

Smooth and notched round specimens and smooth flat specimens are prepared from two steels, API-2W50 and DnV-DH32TM. From incremental tensile tests for smooth specimens, average true stress–logarithmic true strain curves are obtained. By using Bridgman's formula for round specimens and Choung's formula for flat specimens, average true stress is rectified. Then, tensile tests for notched specimens with various notch radiuses are carried out and damage tests are performed to identify material parameters of the damage mechanics model. Three yield models are taken into account: a shear fracture model based on a von Mises's yield function, a linear damage mechanics model based on Lemaitre's law of damage evolution, and a porous plasticity model based on Gurson's yield function. While the shear fracture model can forecast the tested plastic deformation path including final fracture for smooth specimens, it unrealistically estimates that the hydrostatic stress at the necking section largely contributes the plastic behaviors for notched specimens. The linear damage mechanics model assumes linear relationship between the damage value and plastic strain, and fails to accurately estimate the test results. The porous plasticity model presents very good agreement with experimental results regardless of the notch radiuses as long as material parameters are reasonably chosen.     

KK型管节点应力集中系数几何敏感性分析

KK型管节点是自升式平台桁架式桩腿中的一种管节点，其应力集中系数是影响桩腿疲劳寿命的重要参数。应力集中系数与管节点的几何形式密切相关，为分析KK型管节点应力集中系数对几何参数的敏感性，利用ANSYS软件对某KK型管节点进行几何参数化建模，利用有限元数值模拟方法对各工况下的热点应力进行分析，并分别计算各相应工况下的名义应力，然后将热点应力与名义应力相比得到不同几何参数下的热点应力集中系数。对计算结果进行整理分析，得到了KK型管节点应力集中系数对无量纲几何参数的敏感性规律。结果表明，应力集中系数与撑杆受力状态、管节点结构形式有关，在满足结构布置、建造工艺和其他安全性指标的前提下，分析结果能够为KK型管节点的结构设计和疲劳分析提供技术支撑。     

海底管线整体屈曲过程中塑性变形研究

海底管线是海洋油气工程中主要的输送手段。在工作状态下,受高温高压的影响,深海管线可能会发生水平向整体屈曲。随海洋油气作业水深的增大,施加于管线的温度和压强也逐渐增加,导致管线产生较大的屈曲位移和截面应力,使得截面产生塑性应变。本文采用数值模拟方法,对海底管线整体屈曲过程中塑性区的分布及其与整体屈曲影响因素的关联性、塑性变形对水平向变形的影响和塑性变形造成的截面椭圆度的变化规律进行分析,研究塑性变形对整体屈曲过程影响的规律。