RIASSUNTO
ABSTRACT
A huge number of marine (coastal and offshore) structures of different types, floating or fixed, and of various sizes have been constructed and installed worldwide. The state of a marine structure during its life cycle must remain in the domain specified in design, although this can be altered by normal aging due to usage, by the action of the environment, and by accidental events. In recent years the field of smart technologies (structural and environmental monitoring), including sensing and control, has been growing at a fast rate. The selection of an effective method for observing the marine structure’s performance and integrity, as well as their control is of paramount importance aiming to give a diagnosis of the ‘health’ of the examined marine structure In the present paper an insight into the monitoring technologies that exist for observing the performance of marine structures is presented. Critical information on monitoring marine structures with regard to the existing technologies, the measured quantities and applications on different types of marine structures, that are used in both offshore (e.g. oil and gas structures and systems, offshore renewables) and coastal (e.g. jetties, pipelines, breakwaters) areas are presented and discussed.
INTRODUCTION
About seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans, which offer essential elements for the life on earth like mineral resources, energy and food and provide means for transport and infrastructure. Oil and gas are the dominant sources of energy in our society. Twenty percent of these sources are recovered from reservoirs beneath the seabed while new sources to be exploited being sought in deeper waters and in new offshore areas. However, the oceans are an inexhaustible resource of various renewable energy sources such as wind, waves, currents and thermal difference in seawater. Meanwhile, high technology marine structures are developed inherent with new requirements and design specifications. Marine structures can be categorized based on the industrial technology that they will be used; namely, oil and gas, renewable energy, aquaculture, environmental protection and docking.