Effect of pile scouring on structural integrity of fixed offshore jacket structures

Abstract

In general, scour is defined as erosion of loose seabed material directly around offshore structures. It is part of the component to be considered in the life extension of offshore facilities. Codes and standard practices have given various recommendations on the scour depth to be adopted during the initial design stage. Overestimation of the scour depth impacts the pile factor of safety, pile head displacement, and pile unity check, which relates to the economic perspective. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the optimum scour depth adopted in the design stage. This study was performed with the aims to investigate the significant impact of scour depth on the pile performance, to analyse the pile performance based on the design scour against the actual scour, and finally to establish the correlation between scour effect and pile performance. The outcome of this study will assist the industry, especially operators, in reaching the optimum design scour depth.