Oil Rigs Designed to Combat Arctic Ice

by Ben C. Gerwick, Jr., (F.ASCE), Prof. of Civ. Engrg.; Univ. of California, Berkeley, Calif.,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1983, Vol. 53, Issue 12, Pg. 38-41


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

Exploration and drilling rigs now being designed for use in the Beaufort Sea must withstand ice forces never before encountered. Design approaches include using the geometry of these structures to intercept and dissipate ice forces and transferring shear to the seabed soil by steel skirts, caissons or piles. Materials must be chosen carefully so that steel does not become brittle and concrete can withstand freeze-thaw attack. The structures must be capable of being moved to new locations. Three examples are provided.

Subject Headings: Ice | Steel structures | Steel piles | Sea ice | Offshore platforms | Steel | Shear forces | Arctic

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