Structural Integrity Monitoring: Review and Appraisal of Current Technologies for Offshore Applications

The use of structural integrity monitoring techniques on offshore installations provides the potential to reduce the risk of structural failure. The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) Offshore Division has funded a review of relevant technologies in structural integrity monitoring with potential application to offshore installations as well as practical offshore experience with structural integrity monitoring. The purpose of the study was to identify current capabilities of structural integrity monitoring techniques for structural integrity management of offshore installations (i.e. offshore jackets and semi-submersible structures used for drilling and or production operations but excluding FPSOs), to identify limitations in current approaches and identify areas for further development, to identify opportunities for technology transfer from other industries and to review and assess key research and development including current initiatives. The key structural integrity monitoring methods relevant to offshore structures were reviewed. It was found that offshore experience of structural integrity monitoring is limited to date and that all current systems are for bespoke applications. Current codes and standards refer in a limited sense to the use of structural integrity monitoring and this may influence the limited take up to date of this technology. However, there is a regulatory requirement for leak detection in ageing semi-subs as a recent introduction to DNV classification rules OSS-101 [1].