Fatigue analysis of offshore steel structures: A systematic review

With the increasing exploitation of marine resources by various countries, the fatigue issues of offshore steel structures have become more prominent. This paper summarizes 61 journal or conference articles on the fatigue of offshore steel structures from 2014 to 2024, aiming to systematically review the insights of current research methods and trends, and to assist scholars in gaining a deeper understanding of the fatigue issues in offshore steel structures. The study shows that the number of papers published in this field has increased significantly in the past two years, with the primary focus on the fatigue failures of offshore wind turbines and jacket-supported structures. The main factors influencing the fatigue life of offshore steel structures include fatigue load, corrosion, welded configuration, and design fatigue factor, etc. The mechanisms and quantification methods of these factors affecting fatigue performance are summarized. Additionally, in terms of research methods for fatigue performance, this paper divides them into load analysis and fatigue analysis, with respective introductions to their analytical methods. The study also finds that research on load analysis methods is relatively earlier, while research on fatigue analysis methods has gradually become a hot topic in recent years, necessitating more targeted studies. Furthermore, this paper highlights the unique aspects of fatigue in offshore steel structures, explores the differences compared to conventional fatigue issues, and emphasizes the limitations of traditional methods in analyzing their fatigue performance. This provides valuable insights for better understanding and designing offshore steel structures. Finally, the paper discusses unresolved issues in current research and potential future research directions, offering ideas for relevant practitioners.