Advanced structural fire design of offshore structures

Resistance against extreme loading has to be documented for offshore structures. Fire is a continuos threat as large amounts of oil and gas are passing through the installations. In a conventional design procedure, the 'cold' structure is optimized for the different mechanical loads. The responsibility of the structure is then transferred to the safety department, which normally recommend use of passive fire protection as the only way to avoid structural failure during fire. Including fire in the design process will result in more fire resistant structures which means reduced use of passive fire protection and thereby reduced initial and maintenance costs. Better understanding of the structural behavior under fire exposure opens also for extended use of light alloy structures. Design against accidental fires should be included in the design process conducted by the structural engineers in close cooperation with the safety department.