American Society of Civil Engineers
Offshore Technology Conference

Hall of Fame 2005

Since its start, more than 10,000 papers have been presented at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). These papers provide the industry with innovation, vision, direction and lasting impact on the design, construction or installation of the offshore infrastructure. Many of the OTC papers have straddled the divides to become an integral part of the design process of other categories of structures such as buildings and bridges. Nine extraordinary papers will be inducted in this inaugural year:

WAVE FORCE EVALUATION

The following two papers set the stage for evaluating impact of wave forces on shallow and deep water structures:

Paper Number 1006 Presented at the OTC Conference in May, 1969
"Method for Calculating Forces Produced by Irregular Waves"
By J.D. Wheeler
The paper described and evaluated a new method for calculating wave forces on offshore structures. It accounted for linear filtering of surface profile records into the frequency domain, superposition of Airy wavelets in the time domain, and stretching of crest kinematics, all essential elements of nonlinear dynamic analysis of deep water structures. The accuracy of the method has been verified by comparison with measured hurricane-wave forces. Wheeler stretching, as it became known, is common practice today.

Paper Number 1008 Presented at the OTC Conference in May, 1969 "Wave Forces: Data Analysis and Engineering Calculation Method" By P.M. Aagaard and R. G. Dean
This paper presented a new method for calculating ocean wave forces on offshore structures. It was based on data from two full-scale wave force measurement installations in the ocean and a mathematical model representing Morrison's hydrodynamic forces on submerged bodies in unsteady flow and Dean's kinematic flow field of highly nonlinear waves. The method was verified, and forms the basis for offshore structure design in RP2A and all major analysis software.

ULTIMATE STRENGTH AND RESERVE CAPACITY

Paper Number 2357, Presented at the OTC Conference in May, 1975
"Inelastic Analysis of Fixed Offshore Platforms for Earthquake Loading"
By Joseph Kallaby and David Millman
The paper introduced a method, commonly referred to as "pushover", which brought to the forefront the important role that ductility and reserve strength play in the design and assessment of platforms, or other structures, under extreme or "ductility level" earthquake events. It formed the basis for API RP 2A's revolutionary new earthquake criteria, adopted in 1975, in establishing platform ductility and reserve strength. Over a decade and a half later, it was adopted by API RP2A to evaluate reserve strength under storm conditions. It is now used worldwide, and is incorporated in all major analysis software. It has also become a standard structural engineering practice for performance-based evaluation of buildings.

TUBULAR JOINT MATERIAL AND DESIGN

Paper Number 1043 Presented at the OTC Conference in May, 1969
"Materials Problems in Offshore Platforms"
By R. M. Carter, P. W. Marshall, P.D. Thomas and T.M. Swanson
This paper presented failure investigations and other research leading to new criteria for tubular joint design and material selection relative to static strength (punching shear), fatigue resistance (hot spot strain), weldability (carbon equivalent), homogeneity (lamellar tearing), and economy. It is still the basis for AWS design criteria and the API steel specs. Although ISO-API strength equations now appear in a different format, some of them are still pure punching shear.

PILE FOUNDATIONS

The following four papers formulated the basis for current practice of pile performance and driving installation.

Paper Number 1055 Presented at the OTC Conference in May, 1969
"Applications of Wave-Equation Analysis to Offshore Pile Foundations"
By Carl H. Bender, Jr., Charles G. Lyons and Lee L. Lowery, Jr.
This paper presented a wave equation solution for pile driving and installation analysis and design. The method used impact stresses in both pile and hammer to optimize pile size, hammer, driving accessories, and field procedures. It illustrated practical applications to design and installation of heavily loaded piles. It was verified with extensive calibration in different soil types. Its principles are widely used to perform driveability studies and fatigue analysis for single-pile tendon anchorages.

Paper Number 1204 Presented at the OTC Conference in May, 1970
"Correlations for Design of Laterally Loaded Piles in Soft Clay"
By Hudson Matlock
This paper first introduced the theory and framework for a fundamentally and experimentally based method of evaluating lateral soil reactions for pile foundations, using beam-column analysis. It further detailed the particulars of the method for use in soft clay soils. Its application was further extended to sand and stiff clay. It has been adopted worldwide, both within and outside the offshore industry, and is currently incorporated in most applicable codes and practices. It provided a method for successful pile design, averting failures using earlier simplified methods.

Paper Number 2080 Presented at the OTC Conference in May, 1974
"Analysis of Laterally Loaded Piles in Sand"
By Lymon C. Reese, William R. Cox and Francis D. Koop
This paper presented families of curves showing soil resistance p as a function of pile deflection y in fine sand or silty fine sand. These were based on soil behavior theory and results of experimental data for two large driven piles, instrumented for measuring bending moments, and subjected to short-term static and cyclic loading. Curve predictions compared favorably with actual behavior. The procedures used in developing these are curves form the design basis for API and other standards and codes.

Paper Number 2312 Presented at the OTC Conference in May, 1975
"Field Testing and Analysis of Laterally Loaded Piles in Stiff Clay"
By Lymon C. Reese, William R. Cox and Francis D. Koop
This paper presented families of curves showing soil resistance p as a function of pile deflection y in stiff clays. These were based on soil behavior theory and results of experimental data for two large and four small piles, instrumented for measuring bending moments, driven into stiff clay and subjected to short-term static and cyclic loading. The small piles were also pulled, redriven, and reloaded. Curve predictions compared favorably with actual behavior. The procedures used in developing these are curves form the basis of API and other standards and codes worldwide.

PIPELINE INSTALLATION

Paper Number 1073 Presented at the OTC Conference in May, 1969
"The Articulated Stinger: A New Tool for Laying Offshore Pipelines"
By Carl G. Langner
This paper presented a new method, referred to as tesion S-laying, for offshore pipeline installation. It used a stinger with rollers as support structure, consisting of several segments of uniform length, each segment being adjustably buoyant. Segments are connected in series by special hinge joints which provide a limited degree of vertical, lateral, and torsional flexibility. Stinger vertical flexibility increases water depth capability, and lateral flexibility increases weather capability. It is the method of choice in moderate water depths. Its analytical tools also apply to analysis of J-lay and catenary risers in deeper water.