ESTIMATION OF WIND FORCES ON OFFSHORE DRILLING PLATFORMS

In the absence of a code of practice dealing with the wind forces on off-shore drilling platforms, a survey was carried out on relevant literature for wind effects on similar structures. The information obtained, when refined and adapted to the present problem, yielded a first static approach to the wind effects on drilling rigs in their towing condition. Wind conditions, the rigs' dimensions and force coefficients are examined and their influence on the total moments and forces are described and evaluated. Although there is sufficient material to deal with the problem, further research and refinement of the method are required to improve the accuracy and reliability of the calculations. /Author/