4.2.

1 Steel Materials
Steel materials are characterized by the following parameters:
Minimum yield strength
Minimum ultimate strength
Minimum elongation at rupture
Notch toughness at low temperatures
Through-thickness properties
Weldability
Fatigue endurance
Chemical composition
Resistance to corrosion
The American Petroleum Institute (API), the American Institute for Steel Construction
(AISC), and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) have prepared documents with classifications of
steel materials as well as limitations on their use.
The contractor is not only responsible for their procurement but is concerned about
minimizing his costs for fabrication and installation, so the constructor is especially
concerned about tolerances in thickness and length and weldability. For tubular
members that must be spliced, the constructor is concerned about out-of-roundness and
diameter tolerances. For piping, the contractor is concerned about length tolerances,
since
semi-automated processes aboard a submarine pipe-laying vessel do not permit the
random length variations that are accepted in cross-country pipe laying.
Steels to be used in structures or components that will be utilized in cold climates must
have adequate toughness at those temperatures. Welding materials are equally critical in
assuring proper strength and ductility in service. The weld metal has to be compatible
with the base material as regards heat treatment and corrosion. Crack-opening
displacement
tests or other fracture mechanics tests are normally conducted for selection of the
welding consumables.
High-strength bolts and nuts, when used as structural elements, should have Charpy
V-notch toughness values as required for the structural steel members being connected.
4.2.2 Fabrication and Welding
Welding procedures should be prepared, detailing steel grades, joint/groove design,
thickness range, welding process, welding consumables, welding parameters, principal
welding position, preheating/working temperature, and post-weld heat treatment. Stress
relieving is normally not required for the range of wall thickness used in the jackets and
piles of offshore jackets in moderate environments such as the Gulf of Mexico, but it is
frequently required for the thicker members of large deck structures and for the joints
(nodes) of the thicker-walled jackets of North Sea platforms.
The qualification of welding procedures is based on nondestructive testing (NDT) and
mechanical testing. These latter include tensile tests, bend tests, Charpy V-notch tests,
and
hardness tests. A macro-section cut through the weld should show a regular profile, with
smooth transitions to the base material and without significant undercuts or excessive
reinforcement. Cracks and cold lap (lack of fusion) are not acceptable. Porosity and slag
inclusions are limited. Fracture mechanics toughness of heavy welded joints should be
verified by crack-opening displacement tests.