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Concrete structures have been used in the marine environment for a very long time. Examples are
bridges, docks and lighthouses. Particularly in war times, when steel is scarce, concrete has also been
used for barges and ships. The long history of marine concrete structures is interesting and represents
valuable experience.
Concrete structures have proven especially well suited to develop offshore oil and gas fields.
More than 40 major offshore concrete structures make a good job at supporting the processing
facilities of hydrocarbon plants offshore. They are constructed over the past 30 years, and perform
well in all the different environments from the arctic to tropical waters, and from sandy stiff seabed to
very soft clays.
A number of the platforms are permanently floating, and they also show good and efficient behaviour.
How may all this experience be utilized to further develop the offshore oil and gas industry?
The authors of the present paper, being representatives of the Norwegian offshore concrete industry,
have experience from all levels of design and construction of small and large offshore concrete
structures. Examples are described in this paper, including the important elements of project
execution, the experiences from design and construction, the durability of offshore concrete structures
and the associated required maintenance, as well as the issues of removal and recycling of such
structures.
Ongoing projects (Sakhalin II in Russia and Adriatic LNG Terminal in the Adriatic Ocean) are briefly
presented.
Recent trends and some novel concepts for further development are discussed.
The paper concludes with some thoughts on project execution in Mexico, including engineering,
construction and construction methods, materials and labour.
It is the hope of the authors that the paper will represent a fairly comprehensive description of offshore
concrete structures, or at least a place to start in the search for improved oil and gas field development.
...

http://www.tekna.no/arkiv/NB/Norwegian%20Concrete/Offshore%20Structures.pdf