3221 Node flexibility and its effect on jacket structures - a pilot study on two-dimensional frames

Overview:

Presents an investigation of the commonly ignored effect of chord wall flexibility at brace connections on the behaviour of oil production jacket structures. It considers the effects on the in-plane deflections, axial forces, bending moments, brace buckling and natural frequencies of three 100 m tall vertical plane frames. Results from conventional analysis, in which the braces are extended to connect rigidly with the chords at their centre line intersection points, are compared with other analyses in which the joints are represented by a stiffness matrix. Approximate 'hand' methods for assessing the effect of joint flexibility on other structures are suggested.