HULL-TO-CAISSON INTERFACE CONNECTION ASSEMBLY FOR SPAR PLATFORM

摘要

A HULL-TO-CAISSON INTERFACE CONNECTION ASSEMBLY ACCOMMODATES HIGH TENSION LOADS BETWEEN THE HULL (12) AND A CAISSON (20) OF A SPAR-TYPE PLATFORM (10), WHILE FACILITATING ANGULAR FLEXING MOTION AND CONSTRAINING LATERAL AND AXIAL MOVEMENT. THE INTERFACE CONNECTION ASSEMBLY INCLUDES AN ANNULAR BEARING SHOULDER (32) AT THE TOP END OF CAISSON, AND A LAMINATED BEARING ASSEMBLY (22) MOUNTED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HULL (12) AND DEFINING A PASSAGE (23) THROUGH WHICH THE UPPER PORTION OF THE CAISSON (20) PASSES, SO THAT THE CAISSON SHOULDER SEATS AGAINST THE UPPER END OF THE BEARING ASSEMBLY (22). THE BEARING ASSEMBLY (22) INCLUDES A LAMINATED STRUCTURE OF ALTERNATING STEEL AND ELASTOMERIC FLEX ELEMENTS (38, 40), BONDED TO EACH OTHER TO FLEX TOGETHER AS A UNIT, RATHER THAN SLIDING RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER. THE LAMINATED STRUCTURE OF THE BEARING ASSEMBLY (22) SUPPORTS THE VERTICAL TENSILE LOADS APPLIED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE CAISSON (20) ON THE HULL (12), WHILE ALSO ACCOMMODATING THE ANGULAR LOADS APPLIED BETWEEN THE CAISSON (20) AND THE HULL (12).