The Estimation of Ice Loads From Caisson Deformations Gulf Canada Molikpaq

by Murat F. Erbatur, Swan Wooster Engineering Co, Vancouver, BC, Canada,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Civil Engineering in the Arctic Offshore

Abstract:

The Gulf Canada Resources Mobile Arctic Caisson 'Molikpaq' is a bottom founded steel exploration platform capable of year-round operation in the Beaufort Sea. A comprehensive instrumentation system was incorporated at design stage to monitor the behaviour of the structure in the severe arctic environment and to gather information, such as global and local ice loads, which would be utilized for comparison with the theoretical values, and for refining the design criteria for future arctic structures. As a part of the instrumentation program, eight extensiometers have been installed near the storage deck level to measure the deformation of the caisson hull with respect to the main deck which is supported by bearings capable of movement in the horizontal plane. An extensive parametric study using Finite Element analysis techniques was undertaken to establish the correlation between the deck deflections and global ice loads, for a range of ice load magnitudes, angles of attack, and soil conditions. In total, 81 different combinations of parameters were analyzed to cover the spectrum of operating conditions.

Subject Headings: Ice loads | Offshore structures | Caissons | Finite element method | Structural behavior | Soil analysis | Load combinations | Canada | Arctic | Beaufort Sea

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