Chapter 22. Overvview of Underwater Inspection and Repair for Ageing Offshore Structures
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Published:2022
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Underwater inspection, monitoring and repair (IMR) are increasingly important for offshore structures, particularly in the life extension phase. In many cases, such ageing structures are experiencing an increasing amount of damage and degradation and it is vital for the integrity of these structures that these are detected, located, sized and repaired if required. Techniques for these have been developed over many years with growing experience. Monitoring may become an essential part of continuous managing the safety of such structures.
A significant amount of work has been undertaken in the area of IMR over the years since the start-up of the offshore oil and gas industry. This paper aims to give a brief review of the history and techniques of underwater inspection, monitoring and repair of offshore structures. The following topics will be described:
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An overview of typical degradation and damage in ageing steel and concrete structures
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An overview of relevant inspection and monitoring methods for steel and concrete structures
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Awareness of the causes and effects of damage and degradation and how these are related to planning repairs.
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An overview of repair methods for ageing steel and concrete structures.
Life extension assessment should be based on a thorough understanding of the condition and configuration of a structure, established through inspection and monitoring. Hence, the above-mentioned topics are highly relevant for ageing and life extension. Experience has shown that a proper inspection and repair regime can contribute to avoiding structural accidents. For ageing structure an increased number of interventions and repairs place more demands on the technology and personnel available.