Abstract: An offshore jacket is provided which comprises a plurality of main hollow pile sleeves and a plurality of secondary hollow pile sleeves of shorter height than the main sleeves and connected thereto by framing. A plurality of main piles and secondary piles are disposed within the main sleeves and secondary sleeves, respectively, and project downwardly therebeyond into the seabed. The main and secondary piles are connected to their respective main and secondary sleeves by grout disposed within an annulus between the sleeve and the pile, so that the pile resists axial forces. The grout within the secondary piles extends to the seabed. The grout within at least some of the main sleeves terminates above the seabed to decrease the axial spring value of the associated piles and thereby increase the proportion of the axial forces which are borne by the secondary piles.

Abstract: An offshore structure comprises a jacket having buoyant compartments defined by a jacket leg. A rupturable closure defines a lower end of the buoyant compartment. The rupturable closure is operable to be ruptured by a pile impacting on an upper side thereof. The rupturable closure comprises a cup-like cap having a convex under side, and a concave upper side. A plurality of circumferentially spaced, generally radially extending weakened zones in the cap are operable to define generally radially extending rupture zones when the cap is impacted by a pile on its concave upper side. The cup-like cap, when impacted by the pile, ruptures along the generally radially extending weakened zones to define a plurality of triangular cap segments. The generally triangular cap segments are pressed generally radially outwardly of the central axis of the leg toward the inner periphery of the jacket leg by the impacting pile.

Abstract: Improvements in buoyancy structures independently comprising each ofA radiating, circumferentially extending buoyancy cell network encircling an offshore jacket leg, andA double-walled buoyancy chamber wall fabricated from a shell and overlapping pipe segments bonded thereto.An offshore platform jacket assembly is disclosed in which a plurality of jacket legs are anchored by piling members to the bed of a body of water. A buoyancy unit is disposed at a lower portion of the jacket in association with at least one of the jaket legs. Each buoyancy unit comprises a chamber disposed around its respective leg. Each chamber is divided into a plurality of circumferentially displaced, radiating cells and these cells are disposed inwardly of a periphery defined by a series of piling guides spaced around the leg. A plurality of generally upright divider fins extend radially outwardly from the leg to divide the chamber into the radiating cells which are arranged about the leg for the reception of a buoyant medium.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for cushioning and absorbing force between relatively moving bodies and for dissipating the impact energy, preferably in a marine environment. The apparatus is securable to a structure in a marine environment and typically cushions the impact between a marine means (i.e., barge, boat, etc.) and that structure. The apparatus comprises an upright frame, laterally spaced apart upper shock mounts securing the frame to the structure. Each of the shock mounts includes a shear-type, shock-absorbing, resiliently-deformable member disposed intermediate the upright frame and the structure to which it is secured. The resiliently-deformable members of the upper shock mounts are disposed in an orientation in which they provide both compressive and shear resistance to horizontal loading on the frame.

Abstract: Improvements in buoyancy structures independently comprising each ofA radiating, circumferentially extending buoyancy cell network encircling an offshore jacket leg, andA double-walled buoyancy chamber wall fabricated from a shell and overlapping pipe segments bonded thereto.An offshore platform jacket assembly is disclosed in which a plurality of jacket legs are anchored by piling members to the bed of a body of water. A buoyancy unit is disposed at a lower portion of the jacket in association with at least one of the jacket legs. Each buoyancy unit comprises a chamber disposed around its respective leg. Each chamber is divided into a plurality of circumferentially displaced, radiating cells and these cells are disposed inwardly of a periphery defined by a series of piling guides spaced around the leg. A plurality of generally upright divider fins extend radially outwardly from the leg to divide the chamber into the radiating cells which are arranged about the leg for the reception of a buoyant medium.