Structural analysis and re-design of SPM platform in the Adriatic sea

Fixed offshore platforms, especially jacket type platforms, are the most common offshore structures used for Oil & Gas industry in the Adriatic Sea. In fact these structural typologies are suitable for relative shallow water depth, usually up to 250 m, and flat sandy sea floors. Most of them have been built in the last 50 years, some of them are also older, and for instance they have been designed when technological tools were not available and all the calculations were computed by antique machines or by hand. In lieu with the actual international regulations, the following report will present the technical analysis for the design of such platform. More specifically, it has selected as model example one of the platforms designed more than 50 years ago and a complete stability verification has been computed with modern tools. Furthermore a proposal of new design of the base of this structure has been reported together with specific analysis. The examined structure is the SPM Mooring Tower, placed in the offshore area of Falconara Marittima (AN), and owned by Api Refinery Spa. The documents relative to the environmental and geotechnical features of the site in object, the original project documents and drawings, and other documentations have been provided by Tecon Srl Engineering Company, perhaps all the rights about this document are reserved. Structural stability calculations have been carried out according the actual International Code ‘API Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing and Constructing Fixed Offshore Platforms 2A-WSD’.