The Mother of All Resilient Structures: Fixed-Base Tower in 3000-Foot Water and Some Outstanding Issues

This paper describes design and development work for 40- to 80-well fixed- base - yet compliant - towers for 2000- to 3000-foot water depths. Technical issues which are covered include: oceanographic criteria selection; dynamic response to random directional wave forces; the influence of platform architecture on its behavior and cost; constructability studies; optimization of member design to provide adequate flotation for installation; tubular connection design and fatigue. It will be shown that these inherently reliable structures provide a technically viable alternative for developing large scale oil and gas production in deep water. A number of outstanding issues for ongoing research are also mentioned: hydrostatic interaction, fracture control, hydrodynamics and damping, and wear.