SAIPEM offshore

Tekla Structures in practice:
SAIPEM offshore

At work with
SAipem
offshore
a In 2002 Saipem and Tekla joined on
a technical project to get Saipem’s Offshore
division started in using the Tekla Structures
software. The technical team at Harpaceas
(Tekla’s reseller in Italy) first worked with
Saipem’s design teams in San Donato Milanese
to determine the relevant technical issues
in this critical design sector. They then
cooperated directly with Tekla’s development
teams to develop a customized application
and also used their own development
resources based in Italy. This process
achieved defined results in a relatively short
time, and today, the configuration of Tekla
Structures used by Saipem includes a series
of additional features created specifically to
allow management of offshore design project.
With Tekla’s open solution, Saipem was able
to generate added value by exploiting its own
design organization.

The Halfdan
platform
s Halfdan BB is an unmanned
platform situated in the North
Sea at a location where the
depth reaches 50 m. The
platform’s substructure consists
of traditional tubular cable
profiles which are welded together to form a tower lattice
with three arms joined below to the foundation pylons.
The deck is supported by the jacket’s three pillars which
are spaced apart at a distance of 18 m. All of the technical
equipment is situated on the deck along with the platform’s
auxiliary services. The platform also supports a bridge to the
other two platforms installed in the same area.
The design of the deck structure was done with Tekla
Structures right from the early stages of the project.
Modeling began with the main steel structure as soon as
the calculations were completed on the computer. The
model encompassed all of the reinforcements and minor
elements such as the connecting joints welded between the
main beams. As soon as information about the equipment
was available, the designers moved on successively to the
secondary structures with all of the required detailing.
The Tekla Structures model was used successfully for various
purposes:
- Continuous monitoring of the weight of the structure
and the position of the deck structure’s center of gravity
during the design phase
- Output of 2D drawings to present to the end client and
the relevant authorities for certification purposes
- Output of lists of materials to obtain the necessary
materials
- Updating of the structure using the 3D model to identify
and correct any conflicts with the equipment, piping,
cables, access routes, etc.
- Output of 2D drawings for developing the workshop
designs used on the construction site

a “We believe that in the future, Tekla Structures
will contribute to further boosting the efficiency
of our work processes as well as the quality of
the results that can be derived from the model.“
– Giuseppe Frigerio, Engineer at Saipem
The Awa-Paloukou
platform
s The Awa platform is a structure used to extract fuel oil
with 12 slots. It is installed offshore from Congo at a depth
of about 76 m. The jacket consists of a frame structure
with four arms which are positioned over four preinstalled
foundation pylons and securely attached to them. The deck
is supported on the four arms of the jacket. Its total weight
during operating conditions is about 3000 t. On the western
side of the deck, a cantilever flare extends over about 60
m. Tekla Structures was used to model the entire structure
including the jacket, deck and flare. The 3D model of the
entire platform was also used to characterize all of the other
structural components, provide lists of needed materials,
monitor the weight and the position of the center of gravity,
and prepare the project plans and workshop detailing.

Why Saipem chose Tekla
Structures
Saipem’s Offshore division has now used Tekla Structures
to design its platforms for two years. “Clearly, the most
significant benefit is the availability of a single structural
model from which we can extract project plans and
detailing, lists of materials, weights and centers of gravity.
The software also allows direct interfacing to the piping
model in PDS,” noted engineer Giuseppe Frigerio, Engineer
at Saipem.
“The program was customized to handle our needs related
to material management, construction phase management
and integration with corporate standards (standard joint
macros and customized user attributesand material lists).
Another useful function provided by Tekla Structures is
simultaneous access by multiple users to the same model.”
“Modeling the design of an entire platform with small
dimensions, such as Maamoura, required a single designer
for the deck and another designer for the
jacket. Without Tekla Structures, we would
have definitely needed one more designer.”
“However, the greatest benefit of using Tekla Structures
lies in the ability to oversee the whole project since all of
the information is encompassed in the model. This is also
true of the execution of feasibility studies and initial steps,
assessment and evaluation of weights and centers of gravity
and the speed of verification of project variations over the
course of the work.”
“We believe that in the future, Tekla Structures will
contribute to further boosting the efficiency of our work
processes as well as the quality of the results that can be
derived from the model,” concluded Frigerio.
Saipem
Crossing ocean and sea, Saipem’s offshore
activities division has built a global reputation
as one of the true innovators in its field. Since
the late 1950s, the company has continually
updated and advanced its capabilities to
anticipate the ever greater demands of the
market. Saipem’s pioneering work in pipeline
installation is matched by its experience
installing offshore platforms around the world,
mastering both the heavy lift and the floatover
techniques.
Over the last ten years, Saipem has
completed some 120 offshore construction
projects – including modular deck drilling
and production platforms, integrated deck
platforms, wellhead platforms, accommodation
platforms, FPSOs – often, and increasingly
so, in an integrated contractor role. Current
potential of Saipem fabrication facilities
exceeds an aggregate of 130,000 t per annum.

tekla structures –
intelligent 3d modeling
Tekla
Tekla’s model-based software products make customers’ core
processes more effective in building and construction and
infrastructure management. Tekla Corporation has area offices
and partner organizations worldwide. International operations
account for nearly 85% of net sales. Founded in 1966, Tekla is
one of the longest operating software companies in Finland.
Tekla structures
Tekla’s technology creates new business opportunities for the
construction industry. The most advanced building information
modeling (BIM) solution on the market includes an accurate,
dynamic and data-rich 3-dimensional environment.
The highly detailed ‘as-built’ digital structural models generated
with Tekla Structures software enable effective visualization
and management of the project. Effectively integrating model
and non-model-based software solutions allows using the
building information model in collaborative workflows. Tekla
Structures users can streamline the design, fabrication, and
construction processes, ultimately ensuring the highest level of
constructability in project delivery.
Tekla Structures encompasses specialized configurations for
structural engineers, steel detailers and fabricators, concrete
detailers and manufacturers, and construction companies.
Find your local TEKLA contact at
CONTACT:
Tekla Corporation (HQ)
Metsänpojankuja 1, P.O. Box 1
FI-02131 Espoo, FINLAND
Tel. +358 30 661 10
Fax +358 30 661 1500
Tekla is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Tekla Corporation in the United States and other countries.