Decision-making Methodology For Design Of Subsea Line Structures

Abstract

Abstrac t Among the decisions facing the designer of subsea line structures, such as cables and pipelines, are the route, s i z e and type (of pipel ine or cable), method of installation and the means of protection. Each of these dec is ions can s igni f icant ly af fect both system cos t and re l iai l ity. Combined with the uncertainties associated with offshore environmental conditions and manmade hazards, the designer of such systems is presented a complex decision problem. Described herein i s a decision analys is model which considers a l l typical interdependent design variables and inherent uncertainties s im u 1 tan eous ly". Combined with es t imates of costs , bene f i t s , and potential consequences of the various des ign a l ternat ives , the me th adalog y fac i l i tates se lect ion of the most acceptable system des ign. This techno-economic approach has been developed into a detailed model with accompanying software t o aid des igners in se lect ing economic designs of subsea l ine s tructures while achieving acceptable levels of reliability. 1. Goswami Department of Civil Engineering Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 21218