Reliability and safety of tension leg platforms

This paper is concerned with structural safety of tension leg platforms (TLPs) in extreme storm waves. Based upon selected statistical models for the distributions of water surface elevation during a storm, mean storm wind velocity, structural strength and storm arrivals, a reliability model for the mooring system of the TLP is presented. It is used to assess the probability of progressive failure of the legs at each corner and the reliability of the mooring system during the service life of the platform as a function of various design parameters.