Developing a SIM strategy for offshore jacket platforms based on the FE model updating and a novel simplified method

This research is an empirical study on a laboratory model of a jacket structure with the aim of establishing Refined Simplified FE Model (i.e. RSM) to conduct damage detection. The studied jacket structure is a reduced scale 2D frame fabricated and tested at the Laboratory of Modal Analysis of the Tabriz University, Iran. Hereof, experimental vibration tests are accomplished on a physical 2D platform model to record dynamic responses and acquire dynamic features of damaged structure. In addition to eliminate the uncertainty effects in the damage detection results, RSM technique is employed because of practical considerations and also this technique provides a fast damage zone diagnosis procedure. Also, improved reduction scheme is utilized based on static reduction scheme to carry out damage detection in jacket structure. Improved reduction technique eliminates the bad influence of model reduction procedure on the proposed new methodology. The results demonstrate that the presented new technique is completely successful in conducing damage identification in jacket structures.