ABSTRACT
An overview of structural integrity management of offshore steel structures in the oil and gas energy sector is given. Based on relevant experiences with the hazards, accidents and means to control the associated risks, accidents or failures are categorized from a technical-physical as well as human and organizational point of view. Structural risk relates to extreme environmental and accidental events, as well as structural degradation and can be controlled by use of adequate design criteria, inspection, repair and maintenance as well as quality assurance and control of the engineering processes. Such measures are briefly outlined, with an emphasis is placed upon a quantitative design approach for dealing with structural robustness and degradation phenomena. In this connection, the inherent differences in the robustness of various structural concepts are pointed out. The current status of structural reliability methodology to aid decisions in the safety management of offshore structures is briefly reviewed.
