Releasable connection

Apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced-apart first members mounted firmly on a sea floor,

• a plurality of spaced-apart second members joined to the lower part of an offshore tower platform,
• each first member terminating substantially beneath sea level and substantially beneath and out of contact with the tower platform,
• each first member being paired with a second member, and one of the members of each pair being removably inserted in the other member of the pair, with space between adjacent opposing surfaces of the members,
• a solid unitary mass of a material, in the space between the paired member surfaces, which firmly joins the members together,
• said solid material being convertible by heat at a sufficiently high temperature to a physical state in which it has only low compressive, tensile and shear strength, and
• means associated with at least one of the members for controllably supplying heat to the material.

A releasable connection comprising:

• a first member removably inserted in a second member with space between adjacent opposing surfaces of the members,
• a solid mass of a material, in the space between the members, which firmly joins the members together, and with said material only being solid at a temperature below the surrounding ambient temperature,
• said solid material having substantial compressive, tensile and shear strength, and being convertible by heat at a sufficiently high temperature to a physical state in which it has much lower compressive, tensile and shear strength, and
• means associated with at least one of the members for first cooling said material in the space between the members to solidify it and form said solid mass and then to prevent the solid mass from melting.