# US 4,793,739 A · Offshore structure

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- Number: US 4,793,739 A
- Document ID: US4793739A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/064,338
- Filed: 1987-06-19
- Granted: 1988-12-27
- Earliest claimed: 1986-07-04
- Assignees: Aker Engineering A/S
- Inventors: Alf E. Hasle; Per C. Sandnaes
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4793739A

## CPC

- E02B 17/025: {Reinforced concrete structures (E02B17/021 takes precedence)}
- E02B 2017/0065: {Monopile structures}
- E02B: HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING (ship-lifting E02C; dredging E02F)

## Abstract

A compliant concrete structure which is supported by using a compliant pile system consisting of piles and pile sleeves so that the platform may yield to large oscillations when the structure is installed in a body of water. The invention comprises attaching the pile sleeve guides (6) and the pile sleeves (3) to a rotation symmetrical concrete shell which forms the basic structure. The pile sleeves are rigidly connected to the lower end portion (2) of the structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A compliant offshore concrete structure extending from the sea floor to above the water surface, characterized in that the concrete structure (10) comprises a single rotation symmetrical shell provided with a watertight, pressure resistant bottom structure (13) having integrated, temporarily sealed pipe sleeves (18) and being vertically supported by a compliant pile system comprising pile sleeves (3) rigidly connected to the concrete structure (10) at a lower end portion (2), and piles (4) mounted within the pile sleeves (3) and attached to the pile sleeves (3) at an upper end portion (17), wherein the compliant pile system is adapted to yield to the swaying movements of the concrete structure without losing strength, and said concrete structure having a natural oscillation period greater than the natural oscillation period of the water with which it is in contact.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The compliant concrete structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the pile sleeves (3) have a lower portion (15), wherein the lower end portion (2) of the concrete structure (10) has a plurality of recesses (5) for receiving the lower portion (15) of the pile sleeves (3).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The compliant concrete structue according to claim 1, wherein the lower end portion (2) of the concrete structure (10) further comprises steel cladding (8) and shear panels (7) affixed to the steel cladding (8), said pile sleeves (3) being rigidly affixed to the shear panels (7).

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The compliant concrete structure according to claim 2, wherein the lower portion (15) of the pile sleeves (3) have a diameter greater than the diameter of the upper portion of the pile sleeves (3).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The compliant concrete structure according to claim 1 characterized in that the pile sleeves (3) are placed both on the inside and the outside of the concrete shell (10).

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The compliant concrete structure according to claim 2 characterized in that the pile sleeves (3) are placed both on the inside and the outside of the concrete shell (10).

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The compliant concrete structure according to claim 3 characterized in that the pile sleeves (3) are placed both on the inside and the outside of the concrete shell (10).