OFFSHORE CONCRETE PLATFORMS AND LIGHTHOUSES

In the next two or three decades offshore installations in the North Sea necessary for the recovery of oil and gas may in cost exceed 2 billion pounds sterling; more than half of this sum may be spent on fixed production platforms and storage facilities. Hitherto the design and construction of such platforms has been largely based on American technology, evolved in shallower, calmer waters, such platforms being of the steel jacket type, fixed to the sea bed by driver piles, with equipment mounted in situ. The much more rigorous conditions in the North Sea and the greater depths of water, demand the development of new technology, if the potential energy source is to be fully realized, or the cost of obtaining the energy is not to be excessively high. Research and design development indicates that concrete as a construction material provides the basis of a new technology able to meet the challenge. The current design of a concrete platform is fully engineered for depths up to 500 ft and this is available to oil companies on a firm bed basis. While there is as yet no actual service experience giving assurance that concrete structures can be soundly designed, constructed and placed in position and that they will subsequently give many decades of satisfactory service, it is the purpose of this paper to provide a contribution to the necessary assurances. After an examination of the advantages of offshore concrete structures, a particular design is breifly described. Thereafter three important aspects of design and construction are studied in detail to demonstrate the adequacy of present technology. Some future requirements are then identified.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • 45 Conference Papers presented at IMAS 73, London, 4-8 June 1973, organized by the Institute of Marine Engineers. This paper is available only in a set of 2 papers in Subject Group 7: "Ocean Engineering" at $5.00.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Institute of Marine Engineers

    Memorial Building, 76 Mark Lane
    London EC3R 7JN,   England 
  • Authors:
    • Taylor, R S
    • Antonakis, C J
  • Publication Date: 1973

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00048479
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Institute of Marine Engineers
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Nov 14 1973 12:00AM