Buckling strength assessment of corrugated panels in offshore structures

There is an increasing trend of living quarters in offshore structures being constructed using corrugated panels in order to save construction time and cost. Different from corrugated bulkheads in ship structures, the corrugated panels used in the living quarters are designed in triangular or trapezoidal profile with unequal flanges and with a corrugation angle between 45° and 90°. Industry needs have prompted the American Bureau of Shipping to develop design recommendations for the buckling strength assessment of these corrugated panels. This paper describes the main features and the principles of the recommendations based on ABS experience, along with the technical background. The modeling uncertainty associated with the recommended criteria has been established by comparing the predictions with laboratory tests and finite element analysis results. Two design examples are provided to demonstrate the application of the recommendations.