An approach to automate the design of fixed offshore platforms

Abstract

Most conventional structural analysis and design programs have the following inherent weaknesses:- the structure needs to be configured and the members need to be sized prior to any modelling, analysis and design; the modelling and data input are usually tedious when a structure is large and complex, which is typical of an offshore platform; while an experienced engineer can construct a relatively accurate model to define the conceived structure, he or she is just as prone to input errors as an inexperienced engineer; and the level of performance and its consistency depend entirely on the user's ability and experience in using the program. This paper describes an 'intelligent' structural design system, IPDOS, for the design of fixed offshore platforms. IPDOS is an attempt to simultaneously overcome the weaknesses in conventional programs and exploit the user's earlier experiences with them. In IPDOS, a knowledge engineering environment is coupled with a conventional structural analysis and design package. The knowledge engineering environment may hold any specific knowledge base. Therefore, the framework is flexible in supporting structural design in various domains, for example, high-rise buildings, bridges, offshore, coastal and onshore structures.