Estimation of fatigue damage and extreme response for a jack-up platform

Results from four different methods for stochastic dynamic response analysis of a proposed jack-up platform are compared. This structure exhibits both significant dynamic amplification and non-linear transfer of sea elevation into load effects. Both estimation of extreme response and fatigue damage are considered. The most complex procedure based on time-domain simulation and step-by-step integration is employed as a benchmark for assessment of three simplified methods. The simplifications consist of various types of linearization in conjunction with transfer function approximations. Applicability of the methods to structures with increasingly non-linear behaviour and dynamic amplification is briefly discussed.