API RP 2FB:2006 (R2012)

General This document provides guidelines and recommended practice for the satisfactory design of offshore structures against fire and blast loading. For guidelines and recommended practice and other requirements relating to planning, designing and constructing offshore structures relevant API recommended practices, such as API RP 2A, API RP 2FPS, etc., should be followed. The Section 18 of API RP 2A, 21st edition provided a brief overview of the issues associated with the design of fixed offshore structures against fire and blast loading. This document has no contradiction of the issues as identified in the Section 18 of API RP 2A, 21st edition, instead it expands on the details and includes various issues associated with floating structures previously not indicated. The scope of this document is mainly directed to the new design of offshore structures against fire and blast, but is also widely recommended for use in verifying existing offshore structures against fire and blast loading if the operator so desires. Fire and blast loading events can lead to partial or total collapse or sinking of an offshore platform resulting in loss of life and/or environmental pollution. Consideration shall be given in the design of the structure and in the layout and arrangement of the facilities and equipment to minimize the effects of these events. Implementing preventative measures has historically been, and will continue to be, the most effective approach in minimizing the possibility of occurrence of an event and the resulting consequences of the event. For procedures for identifying significant events and for assessment of the effects of these events from a facility engineering standpoint, guidance for facility and equipment layouts can be found in API Recommended Practice 75, API Recommended Practice 14G, API Recommended Practice 14J, and other API 14 series documents. The operator is responsible for the overall safety of the facility. The structural engineer needs to work closely with facility engineers experienced in performing hazard analyses as described in API Recommended Practice 14J, and with the operator's safety management system as described in API Recommended Practice 75. The probability of an event occurring that leads to a partial or total platform collapse and the consequence resulting from such an event vary with platform type. In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, consideration of preventive measures coupled with established infrastructure, open facilities and relatively benign environment have resulted in a good safety history. Detailed structural assessment should therefore not be necessary for Gulf of Mexico-type platforms designated as low risk. A screening process is described herein to screen from further consideration those platforms considered to be at tolerably low risk from fire and blast events, and therefore not requiring specific structural evaluation for fire and blast. As discussed above, however, all designs should include consideration of facilities and equipment layout to minimize the effects of fire and blast events and the adoption of good practice in regard to structural detailing to optimize performance in the event of the occurrence of a fire or blast event.