ABS publishes Guidance Notes on Fracture Analysis for Marine and Offshore Structures

This February, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) had published the Guidance Notes on Fracture Analysis for Marine and Offshore Structures in an attempt to provide guidance for the fracture analysis not covered by the ABS Rules and Guides and supplement the design and analysis requirements issued for the Classification of specific types of marine and offshore structures.

The presence of a flaw in a ship, offshore structure, or equipment could have an impact on structural integrity and present safety concerns. In such cases, the fracture mechanics method can be applied to analyse crack propagation and to evaluate the probable influence on structural integrity under service loads.

The Guidance Notes address three major types of loads: wave-induced loads, vibration-induced loads, and cyclic loads due to loading/offloading. The stress analysis method is provided for determining the long term stress range distribution. An introduction of the types of fractures, possible countermeasures, crack drivers, and fracture assessment methods, are briefly outlined.

The effective date of the Guidance Notes is February 1st.

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS:

Guidance Notes on Fracture Analysis for Marine and Offshore Structures