Stochastic Modeling of Forces on Jacket-Type Offshore Structures Colonized by Marine Growth

Abstract

The present paper deals with the stochastic modeling of bio-colonization for the computation of stochastic hydrodynamic loading on jacket-type offshore structures. It relies on a multidisciplinary study gathering biological and physical research fields that accounts for uncertainties at all the levels. Indeed, bio-colonization of offshore structures is a complex phenomenon with two major but distinct domains: (i) marine biology, whose processes are modeled with biomathematics methods, and (ii) hydrodynamic processes. This paper aims to connect these two domains. It proposes a stochastic model for the marine organism’s growth and then continues with transfers for the assessment of drag coefficient and forces probability density functions that account for marine growth evolution. A case study relies on the characteristics (growth and shape) of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) in the northeastern Atlantic.

Keywords

• marine growth
• biofouling
• wave loading
• stochastic modeling
• reliability
• jacket structures