Computer-aided design of offshore S-lay fiber-reinforced polymer pipeline installation Available to Purchase

It is well known that the installation loads during offshore pipeline installation are usually higher than the operation loads. Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials for offshore pipeline applications seem to be very promising due to their high strength, light weight and excellent corrosion and fatigue resistance. However, during S-lay installation, high bending stresses that may cause material failure or buckling take place. Due to the anisotropic nature of multi-layered FRP pipelines, the permissible bending curvature is difficult to estimate. Few published works have proposed a framework for bending stress calculations and those that have provide complex equations that are not convenient for use. In this study, an open numerical code in Mathematica is offered for the first time. Numerical results for S-lay installation of representative pipelines are provided and commended.