Offshore Engineering Lab. Seminar No.

Trench effect on the Fatigue life of a SCR

Prepared by Y.T.Kim

Current developments of SCR technology focus on improving fatigue life

in the touchdown region and better understanding the interaction between

the SCR and the seabed.

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1. Review
The pipe is initially in contact with a virgin soil
The pipe penetrates into the soil, plastically deforming it. The pipe and soil interaction curve tracks on the backbone curve. The pipe moves upward and the soil responds elastically. The pipe/soil interaction curve breaks away from the backbone curve ,the force reduces over a small displacement. The pipe again penetrates the soil, deforming it

elastically. The pipe/soil interaction curve follows an

elastic lading curve similar to the previous elastic unloading curve of step 3. The pipe again penetrates into the soil, plastically deforming it. The pipe/soil interaction curve rejoins and follows the backbone curve.
(Steel catenary riser touchdown point vertical interaction models-Bridge, C., Laver, K., Clukey, Ed., and Evans, T.)

Figure 1-Illustration of Pipe/Soil Interaction 2/14

1. Review
1.
Backbone Curve Penetration Unloading Soil Suction Re-penetration after breakout

Penetration-the pipe penetrates into the soil to a depth where the soil force equals the penetration force following backbone

curve. The soil deforms plastically.

2. Unloading-the penetration force reduces to 0 N allowing the soil to swell as the pipe moves upwards. 3. Soil suction-as the pipe continues to move upwards the adhesion btw the soil and the pipe causes a tensile force that resists the pipes motion. The adhesion force quickly increases to a maximum then reduces to 0

Figure 2. Re-penetration pipe/soil interaction curves

N as the pipe moves vertically upwards and

out of trench.

4. Re-penetration-the pipe penetrates into the existing trench that was created during the initial penetration. The repenetration force/displacement curve has zero force when the pipe re-enters the trench, only increasing the interaction force when the pipe re-contacts the soil. The pipe/soil interaction force then increases until it rejoins the backbone curve at a lower depth than the previous penetration. Any further penetration follows the backbone curve. (Steel catenary riser touchdown point vertical interaction models-Bridge, C., Laver, K., Clukey, Ed., and Evans, T.)
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2. Soil Stiffness
In order to analyze any kind of structure, or any kind of solid or fluid continuum, it is necessary to have relation ships btw stresses and strains.

Figure 3. A typical stress-strain curve for soil

Figure 4. Tangent and secant stiffness moduli

Siffness- the gradient of the stress-strain line. If this is linear the gradient is easy to
determine but, if it is curved, the stiffness at a point such as A in fig. 4 may be quoted as a tangent or as a secant.
(The mechanics of soils and foundations, John Atkinson)

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2. Soil Stiffness
The two tests commonly used in soil mechanics are the triaxial test and the shear test illustrated in Fig.5

Figure 5. Common soil tests

(The mechanics of soils and foundations, John Atkinson)

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2. Strength, Stiffness and Rigidity

(The mechanics of soils and foundations, John Atkinson)

The strength of a material is the maximum shear stress which it can sustain and its stiffness is the ratio of changes of stress to the resulting strain. A material ay be relatively strong or relatively weak: it may be relatively stiff or relatively soft. Concrete and rubber have similar strengths but concrete is much stiffer than rubber. Rigidity R-the ratio of stiffness to strength, commonly defined as

- Youngs modulus (stiffness)

-strength expressed as the diameter of the Mohr circle at failure

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2. Strength, Stiffness and Rigidity

(The mechanics of soils and foundations, John Atkinson)

Table 1. Typical values of stiffness, strength and rigidity of some common materials

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2. Trench effect on the Fatigue life of a SCR

Non-Degradating and Degradating Models Non-Degradating-neglecting degradation effect of cyclic loading, that is, it states that a riser follows the same P-y curve repeatedly if cyclic loading remains the same. Degradating-In reality, cyclic loading degrades the soil condition. After many cycles of pounding the pipe into the soil, a plastic deformation is formed, which explains why the observed penetration is much greater than computed penetration governed by the backbone curve using a non-degradation P-y curve.

Ali Nakhaee & Jun Zhang Effects of the interaction with the seafloor on the fatigue life of a SCR. ISOPE 2008

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2. Trench effect on the Fatigue life of a SCR

Ali Nakhaee & Jun Zhang Effects of the interaction with the seafloor on the fatigue life of a SCR. ISOPE 2008

The degradation mechanism involves soil remolding in each downward and upward motion that may reduce the stiffness and strength of the soil

Degradation of the soil or plastic deformation of the seafloor can significantly affect the curvature of a riser near its TDZ, thus the bending moment

and the variation in bending moment. Cluckey et al. (2005) concluded that as the pipe
moves back toward the soil , the water

underneath the pipe is pushed downward. The jetting action by the water can lead to soil-water mixing and trench erosion which can also reduce
Figure 6. Stiffness degradation due to cyclic loading
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the strength and stiffness of the soil.

2. Trench effect on the Fatigue life of a SCR

Yaguang Jiao Non-linear load-deflection models for seafloor interaction with steel catenary risers A thesis for master of science

Figure 7. Typical Degradading P-y Curves

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2. Trench effect on the Fatigue life of a SCR

Ali Nakhaee & Jun Zhang Effects of the interaction with the seafloor on the fatigue life of a SCR. ISOPE 2008

After hundreds of loading cycles the trench development on the seafloor

Figure 8. Trench development
(heave amp=1m, heave period=12s, medium soil)
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make the riser penetrate into the soil.

2. Trench effect on the Fatigue life of a SCR

Ali Nakhaee & Jun Zhang Effects of the interaction with the seafloor on the fatigue life of a SCR. ISOPE 2008

Maximum moment variation near the TDZ a function of time after they started

experiencing continuous cyclic loading. It shows maximum variation of bending moment near the TDZ gradually reduces due

to the development of trenching.

The reduction in the maximum variation in bending moment reduction of dynamic stress of a riser prolongs the fatigue life of Figure 9. Maximum movement variation along the riser

the riser

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2. Trench effect on the Fatigue life of a SCR

Ali Nakhaee & Jun Zhang Effects of the interaction with the seafloor on the fatigue life of a SCR. ISOPE 2008

A deeper trenching is developed on the seafloor of soft soil greater reduction in the maximum variation of bending moment greater increase in fatigue life of the riser Figure 10. Maximum moment variation in Riser for different types of soils

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3. Future Plan
How to derive the fatigue life from the TDP result? Fatigue analysis based on DNV

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