ABSTRACT
This paper presents a series of experimental and numerical investigation results on the structural responses of the T-joints of H-shaped tubular structures under dynamic lateral mass impact. The considered scenarios represent collisions between unstiffened tubular members of offshore structures-including offshore jacket platform and wind turbine support structures and support vessels or floating objects. Drop-weight tests were conducted with a knife-edge indenter on eighteen H-shaped tubular member models by changing the dimensions, impact velocity, and striker mass. Among the tested models, some were fractured, while others showed only plastic deformations. Finite element analyses of the impact responses of the test models were also performed using the Explicit solver of the ABAQUS Software. A close agreement between the test results and numerical predictions was achieved. Based on the results, two different failure modes of the T-joints of H-shaped tubular structures are discussed.
