3551 Guidance on ALE for offshore structures supporting wind turbines

Overview:

Offshore wind turbines have been operational now for some twenty years and current and future planned projects will significantly increase the global portfolio with large array and deeper water developments. The intention of this publication is to provide guidance for life extension of structures supporting offshore wind farm structures in order to facilitate good practice throughout the industry and assist those involved in the design and management of structures supporting offshore wind farms.

This guidance builds on the considerable experience gained from offshore structures in the Oil & Gas sector to present a guidance incorporating a Structural Integrity Management (SIM) framework to suit the structural integrity risks specific to offshore wind turbine installations and their associated substation structures.

The guidance addresses the surveillance and inspection strategy to maintain an acceptable level of risk for extended service life beyond the original design expectation. That is, a risk-based approach driven by deterioration processes (e.g. fatigue, corrosion, scour, wear) consistent with the maintenance philosophy for equipment repair and/or change out.