Keywords: dynamic response, explosion analysis, non-linear finite element analysis, offshore structure, single degree of freedom method, topside structure.

In this paper a comparative study is presented that compares simplified analysis and dynamic non-linear finite element analysis (NLFEA) for the evaluation of dynamic responses of an offshore topside structure under explosion loads. As a simplified analysis, a single degree of freedom (SDOF) method is widely applied in the basic engineering stage with the proper structure idealizations and boundary conditions. On the other hand, NLFEA is normally conducted in the detail engineering stage to evaluate the structural capacity of offshore structures to withstand explosion loads. Consequently, the inappropriate use or poor results of the SDOF method for initial design could lead to unnecessary modifications in the final design and structure optimizations with expensive costs. In this paper, a SDOF analysis is carried out to estimate the dynamic response of an offshore structure with member by member analysis. The results of the SDOF method are compared with that of the NLFEA to understand their quantitative and qualitative differences.

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