ABSTRACT
The use of thin-walled steel structures in the offshore industry has been extensively developed in the North Sea over the past 20 years.
Advanced analysis techniques, materials and manufacturing re quirements have been developed and integrated to overcome the more severe environmental conditions and increasing water depth require ments of recent years. The most major advanced analysis technique, the finite element method, has been widely used throughout the design process for the effective and accurate appraisal of the key highly stressed areas. Thin-shell and plate finite elements are the most frequently used finite elements in the estimation of the stress distribu tion in the critical sections of offshore structures.
