To address the fatigue issues at the connection between legs and spudcans of jack-up platforms during oilfield production operations, a local finite element model of the spudcan was established. By considering wave loads from eight different directions and employing the spectral fatigue method, the fatigue life at the leg-spudcan connection was calculated. Additionally, the influence of spudcan-surrounding soil on the fatigue life of the connection was investigated. Results indicate that, under a 10-fold safety factor, the fatigue life at the leg-spudcan connection meets design requirements. Incorporating the effect of surrounding soil further improves the fatigue life at this critical joint.

legs and spudcan  /  spectral fatigue analysis  /  fatigue life  /  soil stiffness