ABSTRACT
Developing a design strength profile is one of the most important and difficult tasks in offshore geotechnical engineering. The strength used in design checking equations is commonly referred to as the “design” strength, the “nominal” strength in the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) version of API design recommendations, or the “characteristic” strength in ISO design recommendations. For structural design with steel subjected to corrosion or fatigue, general requirements associated with ISO 19901-4 recommend using a 5th percentile value as the characteristic strength. However, there are no explicit recommendations in either API or ISO documents on the selection of shear strengths for design.
