The Fracture Resistance Approach to Rationalize Overall Temperature and Wall Thickness Effects on Fracture Toughness for Design of Offshore Structures Under Arctic Conditions

It is well known that when the temperature decreases, steel becomes more brittle. In order to prevent brittle fracture in the Arctic, the structure needs adequate toughness for the loading seen at these low temperatures. None of the common offshore design codes today consistently addresses low temperature applications. Generally the design codes and steel construction material with reference to EN 10225 is applied down to −10°C, while below this temperature it is up to the designer to show fit for purpose of the selected material. This paper is concerned with discussion regarding model to potentially rationalize overall temperature and wall thickness effects on fracture toughness for low temperature application. The proposed model is linked up to results in the Arctic Material research project (2008–2017) and used for support of guideline formulations. This paper is a continuation of the work presented in by the authors in 2016 [1] with the aim to support a more design friendly approach addressing both temperature effect and material utilization. In addition, the paper will sum up findings and conclusions from the overall research work carried out in this project with focus on the implication on design for Arctic applications.