Design against ship collisions in accordance with the new DNV RP C204

Abstract

A new version of the DNV RP C204 standard for the design of offshore steel structures against accidental loads was released in 2019. The updated recommended practice made considerable changes on the design against ship collisions. The changes addressed the challenge of increasing ship sizes and collision energy and new structural designs. This paper discussed several aspects of the changes in the revised DNV RP C204, including updated design collision energy and force-displacement curves of the standard supply vessel, ship installation interactions, compactness criterion of offshore tubulars and external dynamic models. Examples are given to demonstrate application of the new standards. Potential impact of the new standard on structural design is discussed.