Inspection of offshore platforms may be performed by divers, remote-controlled vehicles, or other electronic techniques. These approaches are limited by water depth, prevailing weather, and other conditions on the platform. The objective of this project is to investigate the feasibility of using system identification techniques as methods for early detection, identification, and location of damage in offshore structures. The intent is to evaluate the condition of the platform in a way which will be meaningful to the actual installation under normal operational modes. This project is an adjunct to Project No. 23.
Complete. Numerical experiments using a complex structural model of an offshore platform with embedded structural flaws and damage were conducted and were verified using system identification techniques. The influence of the flaws and damages on the vibrational response of the model were studied.