Risk Assessment for Offshore Structures: A Review

Abstract

Owing to the relative severity and unfamiliarity of the ocean environment, the scarcity of data about loads and materials, and the expense of data‐gathering, uncertainties faced in engineering of offshore structures are magnified compared to those associated with structures on‐land. The paper reviews methods for assessing offshore risks which are primarily technical in nature. These include risks attributable to natural or accidental loads, to structural materials, or to foundation deficiencies. Alternate approaches for quantifying or predicting risk and reliability are presented along with a perspective on the shortcomings of these methods in the context of offshore engineering. Two classes of models are reviewed: (1) Models used in reliability assessment under short‐term loading; and (2) long‐term reliability models in which occurrence patterns as well as magnitudes of loading are considered. The paper emphasizes the relationship between risk assessment and engineering decision analysis.