Mooring Systems: A State-of-the-Art Review

Abstract

A mooring system is any system of cables and anchors used to restrain the motion of a fixed or floating structure by transmitting the forces on the structure to the seafloor. Examples of mooring systems range from the simple single-anchor, single-line system used to restrain meteorological buoys to the complex systems used to restrain tension leg platforms and guyed towers for deepwater oil operations. In this paper, a state-of-the-art review regarding the behavior of cables as mooring system components, the types and selection of cables, and the various classes of anchors and their applications is presented.