A Simplified Procedure for Global Hull Strength Analysis of Classic Spars

Primary structural components of a spar hull are designed to resist lateral hydrodynamic and hydrostatic pressure and global loads. The scantlings of each primary component are usually determined based on the largest pressure it may encounter in various phases such as wet-tow, upending, and in-place operational conditions. The effect of global bending moment and shear force on the spar hull is often evaluated much later via laborious finite element analysis. This paper proposes a simple analytical tool for quickly assessing global hull strength of classic spars in the in-place condition. A spar platform undergoes steady, low-frequency, and wave-frequency motion of comparable magnitude at the same time in a storm event. The present approach separates the wave-frequency component from the steady and low-frequency response. A closed-form solution is developed for wave-induced motion and loads by taking advantage of the simple cylindrical shape of classic spar hulls. The theoretical solution is verified by comparing to numerical WAMIT results. The low-frequency response is approximated as one part of the steady response, since its dynamic effect is weak. The steady structural response is mainly a function of the heel angle. It is demonstrated that local effect of wind pressure and current load is not significant. The total response, as a summation of the wave-induced loads and the steady solution, is represented by global bending moment and shear force envelopes along the spar hull for a given sea state. Global bending and shear stresses of primary structural components can be further calculated and checked against code requirements. This procedure has been implemented through Matlab scripts. A comparison with global finite element analysis for a classic spar is made showing very good agreement. The present simple procedure allows us to evaluate primary structural components of a spar hull without resorting to expensive finite element modeling. It can help the scantling design by providing the global load. The approach can also be used to identify critical environmental conditions and structural components for detailed finite element analysis.