The Application of Fiber Rope For Offshore Mooring: Guidance Notes On
The Application of Fiber Rope For Offshore Mooring: Guidance Notes On
The Application of Fiber Rope For Offshore Mooring: Guidance Notes On
GUIDANCE NOTES ON
Copyright 2011
American Bureau of Shipping
ABS Plaza
16855 Northchase Drive
Houston, TX 77060 USA
Updates
Foreword
These Guidance Notes have been prepared to assist the industry with standardized criteria for applications
of fiber ropes in offshore mooring systems. These Guidance Notes describe criteria for design, materials,
testing, manufacturing, installation and subsequent survey of fiber ropes to be used in offshore mooring
systems to be classed or certified by ABS. These Guidance Notes should be used in conjunction with other
Rules and Guides published by the American Bureau of Shipping as specified herein. During the
preparation of these Guidance Notes, ABS recognizes that industry participation is a vital factor due to
rapidly progressing nature of this technology, and for the success of developing an appropriate standard
which satisfies practical classification requirements. ABS appreciates the industry’s input in the development
of these Guidance Notes.
These Guidance Notes supersede the ABS Guidance Notes on the Application of Synthetic Ropes for
Offshore Mooring, 1999. The main purpose of these new Guidance Notes is to reflect the latest technology
developments and industry practice for applications of fiber ropes in offshore mooring systems.
These Guidance Notes provide detailed guidance for three fiber materials: polyester, HMPE (high modulus
polyethylene), and aramid (aromatic polyamide). This does not exclude the use of other fibers in the design
of mooring systems, provided that good engineering practice is followed, all relevant fiber properties are
considered and justification for the use is adequately documented. Designers of mooring system are
encouraged to consult fiber rope experts and manufactures when other rope materials are considered.
These Guidance Notes become effective on the first day of the month of publication.
Users are advised to check periodically on the ABS website www.eagle.org to verify that this version of
these Guidance Notes is the most current.
We welcome your feedback. Comments or suggestions can be sent electronically by email to [email protected].
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 iii
Table of Contents
GUIDANCE NOTES ON
iv ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
7 Determination of Stiffness Based on Test Data ................................ 14
8 Mooring Analysis Procedure ............................................................. 14
8.1 Major Conclusions from Parametric Studies.................................. 14
8.2 Analysis Procedure Based on the Static-Dynamic Model .............. 14
8.3 Analysis Procedure Based on the Upper-Lower Bound Model ...... 15
9 Mooring Analysis Examples .............................................................. 15
10 Creep ................................................................................................ 15
11 Fatigue .............................................................................................. 15
11.1 Tension-Tension Fatigue ............................................................... 15
11.2 Axial Compression Fatigue............................................................ 16
12 Torque Compatibility ......................................................................... 17
12.1 Permanent Mooring ....................................................................... 17
12.2 MODU Mooring ............................................................................. 17
13 Delayed Preloading........................................................................... 18
14 MODU Mooring Considerations ........................................................ 18
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 v
SECTION 5 Aramid Mooring Design and Analysis ................................................ 25
1 Aramid Rope Strength and Stiffness Properties ............................... 25
2 Axial Compression Fatigue ............................................................... 25
2.1 Past Experience and Current Status.............................................. 25
2.2 Acceptance Criteria ....................................................................... 25
2.3 Mooring Analysis ........................................................................... 26
3 Tension-Tension Fatigue ..................................................................26
4 Creep and Creep Rupture.................................................................26
TABLE 1 Tension Limit and Factor of Safety for Dynamic Analysis ...... 28
TABLE 2 Factor of Safety for Fatigue Life.............................................. 28
vi ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
9 HMPE Creep Rate Verification ......................................................... 38
10 Aramid Axial Compression Fatigue .................................................. 38
10.1 Test Procedure .............................................................................. 38
10.2 Data Reporting .............................................................................. 38
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 vii
SECTION 12 Handling and Installation ..................................................................... 46
1 General ............................................................................................. 46
2 Minimum Tension for Aramid Rope .................................................. 46
3 Contact with Seabed ......................................................................... 46
3.1 Preset Mooring .............................................................................. 46
3.2 Dropped Rope during Deployment ................................................ 46
4 Preloading Operation ........................................................................ 46
viii ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
5 HMPE Mooring Analysis Example .................................................... 63
5.1 HMPE Creep Analysis Example .................................................... 63
5.2 HMPE Creep Rupture Analysis Example ...................................... 64
5.3 Example of HMPE Quasi-Static Stiffness ...................................... 65
6 Guidance for Dynamic Stiffness Test Matrix..................................... 66
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 ix
Section 1: General
SECTION 1 General
1 Scope
The main purpose of these Guidance Notes is to describe criteria for design, material, testing, manufacturing,
installation and subsequent survey of fiber ropes to be used as mooring components in offshore mooring
systems. The secondary purpose of these Guidance Notes is to highlight differences between fiber rope
mooring systems and typical steel mooring systems, and to provide guidance on how to handle these
differences during system design and installation.
In view of the influence of rope properties on mooring system performance, these Guidance Notes include
details of how rope testing, mooring analysis and installation can be integrated to provide a consistent
mooring system design methodology. In this matter, these Guidance Notes cover the following aspects:
• Design and Analysis Considerations of Mooring System
• Design Criteria for Mooring Components
• Design of Fiber Rope
• Testing and Production of Yarn and Rope
• Inspection and Certification during and after Rope Production
• Survey and Witness by ABS Surveyor
Where the mooring design, construction and installation details are similar or equivalent to steel wire/chain
mooring systems, no further guidance is included in these Guidance Notes. These Guidance Notes are not
intended to provide a comprehensive manual on all aspects of mooring design, construction and installation
since these details are adequately covered by other recognized standards, such as API RP 2SK.
The publication of these Guidance Notes reflects the growth in offshore mooring applications for fiber
ropes and the need for a consolidated written guidance. These Guidance Notes summarize industry experience
and common practices in application of fiber ropes for offshore mooring and provides a general guidance
to check the integrity of fiber ropes application.
These Guidance Notes applies to fiber ropes used in the mooring system of both permanent and temporary
offshore installations such as:
• Monohull Based FPSOs
• Semi-Submersible Based FPUs
• Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs)
• Drill-Ships
• Spar Platforms
• CALM Buoys
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 1
Section 1 Introduction
Therefore, these Guidance Notes should be used in conjunction with the latest ABS publications as follows:
i) ABS Rules for Building and Classing Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODU Rules)
ii) ABS Rules for Building and Classing Single Point Moorings (SPM Rules)
iii) ABS Rules for Building and Classing Floating Production Installations (FPI Rules)
iv) ABS Guide for Certification of Offshore Mooring Chain (Chain Guide)
These Guidance Notes are not intended to cover general marine applications of fiber ropes, such as berthing
and mooring lines at piers and harbors, towing hawsers on tugs, mooring hawsers on Single Point Moorings
(SPMs) and Tension Leg Platform (TLP) tendons.
2 Definitions
Aged Rope: The rope that has been subjected to preloading and subsequent environmental loads to reach a
fully bedded in condition.
Amplitude to Diameter Ratio (A/D): The ratio of VIM amplitude to the diameter of a Spar or column of a
deep draft semisubmersible.
Aramid Rope: Rope made of aromatic polyamide fiber, which has higher strength and stiffness than
polyester rope. The issue of axial compression fatigue needs to be addressed.
Average Breaking Strength: The average of the results of several rope break tests.
Axial Compression Fatigue: A failure mode for fiber rope such as aramid under low tension or compression.
Bedding-In: The loading process of compaction of internal rope components to reduce construction stretch.
Creep Model: A model that generates creep and creep rupture design curves for ropes based on yarn test
data, particularly applicable to HMPE ropes.
Creep: The increase in rope length under sustained tension or cyclic loading.
Creep Rate: The creep strain over unit increment of time.
Creep Regime: The time regime that can be clearly distinguished by a different behavior of the creep rate
for an HMPE rope.
Creep Rupture: Failure of fiber rope, such as HMPE, due to continuous creep over time under a specific
load and temperature.
Design Service Life: The intended life for the mooring system of a specific project. The design service life
for the mooring system can be the same as or different from that for the floating unit.
Dynamic Stiffness: The ratio of change in load to change in strain in a rope under cyclic loading, typically
normalized by MBS.
Elongation: The change in length between two gage marks, separated by a known distance (gage length)
as tension is applied to the rope or as tension is maintained over time.
Fiber Finish: A designation of the process and finish used on a fiber for a particular purpose (e.g. “marine
finish”).
Fiber Grade: A designation of the quality of a particular fiber, indicating adherence to tolerances for
properties.
Fiber Type: A designation given by the fiber producer which indicates the manner in which a particular
fiber has been drawn or spun, processed, and treated with various finishes and/or oils.
FPI: Floating Production Installations as defined in the ABS FPI Rules [1].
FPSO: Floating Production Storage and Offloading Unit as defined in the ABS FPI Rules [1].
Frequency Domain (FD) Analysis: An analysis method that considers system responses in terms of frequency
rather than time. The analysis will produce responses such as dynamic tension or motion responses in a
form of statistical values (standard deviation, significant, and maximum, etc.).
2 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 1 Introduction
FSO: Floating Storage and Offloading Unit as defined in the ABS FPI Rules [1].
Group Approval: Approval for a group of different sizes of rope of the same design based on one or two
rope tests.
HMPE Rope: Rope made of high modulus polyethylene fiber, which has higher strength and stiffness than
polyester rope. The issue of creep needs to be addressed.
Jacket: A braided or plastic covering which is placed over the rope, subrope, or individual strand for protection
and to hold the rope structure together.
Lay Length: The length along the axis of a rope in which a strand makes one complete spiral around the
rope axis.
Low Frequency (LF) Response: The tension or motion dynamic response that has a period close to the
natural period of the moored system, typically in the range of 100 to 400 seconds.
Manufacturing Specification: A document which completely describes the process of making the rope,
including instructions for each step of the manufacturing process.
Material Certificate: A document prepared by the manufacturer and the fiber producer to certify that the
type and grade of fiber material, the properties of the yarn, and the material used in rope production are
those specified in the Rope Design Specification.
Material Chemical Composition: The generic designation of a specific chemical composition and process
of material used in the fiber (i.e., nylon, polypropylene, Aramid, high-modulus polyethylene).
Material Specification: A document, which completely describes the fiber material used in the rope, including
the material chemical composition, the fiber producer, the fiber type and grade, and the yarn test properties.
Minimum Bend Radius (MBR): Minimum radius to which the fiber rope can be bent without damage to the
rope construction (including, as applicable, the jacket).
Minimum Break Strength (MBS): The wet breaking strength guaranteed by the rope manufacturer for a
specific rope.
MODU: Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit, a floating drilling vessel that engages in exploratory drilling.
Mooring Line: A mooring component which consists of chain, wire rope, fiber rope or a combination of
them to connect the floating unit with the anchor for stationkeeping.
Non-Dimensional Stiffness (Kr): Stiffness normalized by MBS.
Non-Torque Component: Mooring component for which twist is not generated or negligible due to tension
variation, such as chain and spiral strand. Polyester rope is generally non-torque but can be a torque component
by design.
Non-Torque-Matched Approach: The approach in which a non-torque fiber rope is connected to a torque
component such as 6-strand wire rope.
Parallel Construction: The most commonly used type of fiber rope construction for offshore moorings
consisting of parallel subropes held together by a braided jacket.
Particle Ingress: Penetration of soil particles into the load bearing fiber core.
Permanent Mooring: The mooring system for a floating platform that has a long design service life, typically
20 years or more.
Polyester Rope: Rope made of polyester fiber, which is the most widely used fiber rope for offshore mooring.
Post-Installation Rope: The rope that has been subjected to a specific preload during installation.
Pre-Installation Rope: The rope that has not been subjected to a specific preload.
Preloading: A procedure applying a specific load to induce bedding in, thus reducing construction stretch
and increasing rope stiffness during mooring installation.
Pretension: The tension initially set in the mooring lines for normal operation.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 3
Section 1 Introduction
Production Rope Sample: A rope sample removed from production or selected after production for the
purpose of testing.
Prototype Rope Sample: A rope sample fully complying with the rope design specification made for the
purpose of testing either before an order is placed or before regular rope production begins for an order.
Quality Assurance Manual: A document which completely describes the Manufacturer’s quality control and
assurance program.
Quality Control Data Sheet: A document which lists the important parameters in setting up and accomplishing
a designated step of the rope making and assembly process, including normal values and tolerances.
Quality Control Report: A document prepared at the completion of rope making and assembly which includes
the completed quality control data sheets, material certificates, and inspection reports.
Quasi-Static Stiffness: The static stiffness, which is reduced to account for the rope creep under an
environmental event.
Rope Assembly Interface: Any physical connection which is a permanent part of the rope assembly (e.g.,
thimble) which is used to interconnect rope assemblies or to connect a rope assembly to another tension
member (e.g., a wire rope or chain) or hardware (e.g., an anchor, a buoy, or a platform). [Note: this
excludes shackles and other detachable links.]
Rope Assembly Length: The distance between the assembly interface points as measured at a defined
tension and by a method agreed to by the Purchaser and the Manufacturer.
Rope Assembly: The rope, its terminations, and any other accessory gear such as thimble.
Rope Construction: The manner in which the fibers, yarns, strands and subropes are assembled together in
making the rope.
Rope Design Specification: A document which describes the design of the rope, including the numbers
and arrangements of strands, the strand pitch, the material chemical composition, and the manufacturing
method.
Rope Fiber Area: The total cross-section area of load-bearing fiber in the rope, which is determined by
dividing the weight of fiber per unit length by the fiber density.
Rope Production Report: A document which describes the rope product, including rope design, termination
design, and assembly length, and which includes the material certificates, material test results, and the various
data sheets.
Rope Termination: The method (e.g. splice, potted socket, wedged socket) by which the rope is attached
to the assembly interface.
Rope Yarn: The largest yarn-like component of a strand generally formed by twisting intermediate yarns
together.
Rotation Property: The relative rotation between one end and the other end of a rope of unit length caused
by application of tension.
Rotation: The tendency of the unrestrained end of a rope to rotate about its axis when tension is applied.
ROV: Remotely Operated Vehicle.
SD: Standard deviation.
Segment: A length of chain, steel or fiber rope with terminations that can be connected to provide the required
length of a mooring line.
Soil Filter: A barrier incorporated in fiber rope for blocking ingress of soil particles.
Spar: A type of FPI as defined in the ABS FPI Rules [1].
Splice: A termination type which is normally formed by passing the rope around a spool or similar
attachment, and then separating the rope into strands or sub-ropes and tucking these strands or sub-ropes
back into the rope structure.
4 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 1 Introduction
Static Stiffness: The ratio of change in load to change in strain in a rope under slowly varying tension for a
period of time, typically normalized to MBS.
Static-Dynamic Model: A stiffness model where the elongation under mean and cyclic load are represented
by different slopes in a load versus elongation curve.
Stiffness Model: A simplified representation of the complex fiber rope load versus elongation behavior.
Stiffness: The ratio of change in load to change in strain in a rope in units of force such as kN or kips.
Stiffness is typically normalized by the MBS in this document.
Strain: The ratio of elongation to the gage length over which the elongation takes place.
Strand: The largest component, which is twisted, braided, or otherwise assembled together to form the finished
sub-rope.
Subrope: The largest component, which is assembled together to form the finished rope.
Termination Specification: A document which completely describes the design of the termination and the
process of making that termination, including materials and steps for making or assembling the termination.
Test Insert: A short segment typically 10 m to 15 m long, placed at the top of the fiber mooring line,
which can be taken out for testing and inspection.
Three-Slope Model: A stiffness model defined by 3 different slopes for mean load, LF, and WF dynamic
load in a load versus elongation curve.
Time Domain (TD) Analysis: A dynamic analysis method that considers system responses as a function of
time. The analysis produces dynamic tension or motion responses in a form of time history.
T-N Curve: A fatigue design curve that defines the relation between the mooring line tension range and
number of cycles to failure.
Torque Component: Mooring component for which twist is generated due to tension variation, such as 6-
strand or 8-strand wire rope.
Torque-Matched Approach: The approach in which a fiber rope is designed to match the torsion characteristics
of a torque component such as 6-strand wire rope.
Two-Slope Model: A stiffness model defined by 2 different slopes for mean load and dynamic load (combined
LF and WF) in a load versus elongation curve.
Upper-Lower Bound Model: A simplified stiffness model where the rope stiffness is defined by the maximum
and minimum value for a specific rope.
Vortex Induced Motion (VIM): The vessel motions of a Spar or a deep draft semisubmersible induced by
vortex shedding under current.
Wave Frequency (WF) Response: The tension or motion dynamic responses that have periods of waves,
typically in the range of 4 - 30 sec.
Wire Rope Construction: Rope construction resembling steel wire rope either as subrope or as full rope.
Yarn Break Strength: The average breaking load from yarn break tests.
Yarn Creep: The characteristic of the yarn to undergo a time related non-recoverable increase in length
when subjected to sustained load.
Yarn Elongation: The average elongation at break from several yarn break tests.
Yarn: A general term for a bundle of untwisted or twisted fibers.
Yarn-on-Yarn Abrasion Property: The average number of cycles of tested yarns to failure at designated
loads in yarn-on-yarn abrasion tests.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 5
Section 2: Scope and Procedure for Design and Analysis
1 General
This Section provides general guidance for the design and analysis of mooring systems incorporating fiber
ropes. Requirements as specified in the ABS Rules for Building and Classing Floating Production
Installations (FPI Rules) [1] and API RP 2SK (2005) [2] are generally applicable unless otherwise
provided in these Guidance Notes. The purpose of design verification is to confirm that the proposed
mooring system satisfies the specified design conditions, Rules, Guides and other related standards.
TABLE 1
Documentation for Design, Testing, Manufacturing, and Survey
No. Document Responsibility
1 Mooring Design and Analysis Mooring Designer
2 Minimum Breaking Strength Test Rope Manufacturer
3 Elongation and Stiffness Test Rope Manufacturer
4 Splice Qualification Test Rope Manufacturer
5 Particle Ingress Resistance Test Rope Manufacturer
6 Torque Match with Steel Wire Rope Test Rope Manufacturer or Mooring Designer
7 HMPE Creep Rate Verification Test Rope Manufacturer
8 HMPE Creep and Creep Rupture Models and Basis Fiber Producer
9 Aramid Axial Compression Fatigue Test Rope Manufacturer
10 Yarn Dry Breaking Strength and Elongation Test Rope Manufacturer
11 Yarn on Yarn Abrasion Test Rope Manufacturer
12 Rope Design Specification Rope Manufacturer
13 Yarn Specification Rope Manufacturer or Fiber Producer
14 Manufacturing Specification Rope Manufacturer
15 Termination Specification Rope Manufacturer
16 Quality Control Report Rope Manufacturer
17 Rope Production Report Rope Manufacturer
18 Material Certificate Rope Manufacturer or Fiber Producer
19 Survey during Installation Mooring Installer or Operator
20 Annual Survey Operator
21 Special Periodical Survey Operator
22 Special Event Survey Operator
23 Survey after MODU Mooring Failure due to Tropical Cyclone Drilling Contractor
6 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 2 Scope and Procedure for Design and Analysis
3 Mooring Configuration
A mooring system with fiber ropes can be configured as either a taut-leg or a catenary system. The choice
depends on many considerations that are beyond the scope of these Guidance Notes. A taut-leg mooring
(TLM) has a smaller mooring footprint than the conventional catenary mooring system. This can be
particularly important for the field layout of production installations and in congested development areas.
The taut leg mooring systems also differ from conventional catenary mooring systems in which the anchor
must resist substantial vertical load.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 7
Section 3: Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
8 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
2 Stiffness Characteristics
Polyester ropes as well as other fiber ropes are made of materials with visco-elastic properties, so their
stiffness characteristics are not constant and vary with the load duration and magnitude, the number and
frequency of load cycles, and the loading history. In general, polyester mooring lines become stiffer after a
long time in service. Historical loading above a certain level may lead to a permanent increase of the rope
length and results in a softer mooring system if no re-tensioning is performed. Because of this complex
rope behavior, it is not possible to develop models that represent the precise stiffness characteristics of the
rope. Currently the industry relies on some simplified models that capture the most important characteristics
and at the same time yield conservative prediction of line tensions and vessel offsets.
3 Stiffness Model
The static-dynamic model [4] is recommended as the primary model for the following reasons:
• It is based on rigorous research
• It reflects the basic elongation behavior of polymer material
• It yields good approximation of line tension and vessel offset if the model parameters are properly
determined
• Most commercial software can handle this model and therefore specialized software is not required.
• It allows efficient mooring analysis
An alternative to the static-dynamic model is the upper-lower bound model [6], which has been used by the
industry for a long time because of its simplicity and unavailability of a better model. The accuracy of this
model depends on selection of the upper and lower bound values, and improper selection of these values
often leads to too conservative or non-conservative predictions. These Guidance Notes provide some
guidance on establishing the upper and lower bound values for this model.
Other models have been used by the industry. They can be acceptable if they reflect the basic elongation
behavior of polymer material and produce realistic predictions. However, these Guidance Notes provide no
guidance for these models, and it is up to the designer to provide evidence for the validity of the model.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 9
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
EA
Kr = ..................................................................................................................... (3.2)
MBS
where MBS is the Minimum Breaking Strength.
In addition, these Guidance Notes deal with two types of stiffness, dynamic and static and the non-
dimensional dynamic stiffness is denoted as Krd and the non-dimensional static stiffness is denoted
as Krs.
FIGURE 1
Static-Dynamic Stiffness Model
80
70
60
Dynamic
Tension (%MBS)
50
40
Mean Tension
Static
30
20
10
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Strain (%)
10 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
FIGURE 2
Upper-Lower Bound Stiffness Model
90
80
70
Tension (%MBS)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Strain (%)
The upper-lower bound model has been widely used in the industry due to its simplicity and unavailability
of a better model. However, it does have certain shortcomings such as:
• There is no systematic method to determine the upper and lower bound stiffness, and therefore these
values are often arbitrarily determined
• Polyester rope has a very complicated stiffness property, which is a function of load type, amplitude,
duration, and history. Using 2 limiting values to represent the complicated behavior often results in
overly conservative or non-conservative analysis results, depending on the design parameter being
considered. To avoid this situation, many designers use some intermediate values, but again the selection
of these values is rather arbitrary, resulting in more confusion over this issue.
Although the upper-lower bound model is a simple and widely used model, determination and use of the
upper and lower bound values requires careful consideration.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 11
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
4 Dynamic Stiffness
12 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
5 Static Stiffness
FIGURE 3
Definition of Quasi-Static Stiffness
Quasi-Static Stiffness
Creep, a function of load duration
E1 E2
50
40 F2
Load (%MBS)
30
20
F1
10
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Strain (%)
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 13
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
14 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
10 Creep
Polyester ropes are not subject to significant creep at loads normally experienced in mooring applications
and thus are not normally subject to failure due to creep rupture. Therefore creep or creep rupture analysis
is not required for mooring design. However, mooring line adjustments may be needed during design
service life due to rope creep, and sufficient upper chain segment length should be retained to allow future
line adjustments. Estimate of future line adjustments can be carried out using the creep rates at the creep
plateaus from the quasi-static stiffness test.
11 Fatigue
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 15
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
FIGURE 4
Polyester Fatigue Design Curve
-0.20 0.631
log (R), R = T Range/MBS
-0.40 0.398
R = T Range/MBS
-0.60 0.251
-0.80 0.158
-1.00 0.100
-1.20 0.063
As per the ABS FPI Rules [1], tension-tension fatigue life design criteria can be summarized in the following
table for permanent installations. For temporary installations, fatigue analysis can be waived provided that
inspection of the mooring is conducted according to API RP 2I [14].
TABLE 1
Fatigue Life Factor of Safety
Area Component Fatigue Life/Design Service Life
Inspectable Areas 3
Non-Inspectable and Critical Areas 10
16 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
12 Torque Compatibility
Torque compatibility should be considered between polyester rope and other components such as chain
and wire rope. There are 2 torque categories for mooring components:
• Torque component: Twist is generated due to tension variation, such as 6-strand or 8-strand wire rope
• Non-torque component: Twist is not generated or negligible due to tension variation, such as chain and
spiral strand. Polyester rope is generally non-torque but can be a torque component by design.
Laboratory testing demonstrates that a 6- or 8-strand wire rope’s fatigue performance, when connected
with a non-torque polyester rope, could be significantly degraded, although the scale effect of such testing
is yet to be quantified. Following is some guidance to address this issue.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 17
Section 3 Polyester Mooring Design and Analysis
13 Delayed Preloading
The preloading operation to achieve initial bedding-in of the polyester ropes should be carried out immediately
after the mooring installation. If this operation is delayed for an extended period during which severe
environments can be encountered, a mooring analysis should be conducted using the stiffness values for a
pre-installation rope. Vessel offsets and motions from this analysis should be used to check that riser stress
and fatigue life are sufficient to provide riser integrity under this condition.
18 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 4: HMPE Mooring Design and Analysis
TABLE 1
Typical Rope Weights and Sizes for 10,000 kN Break Strength
Rope Property Polyester Aramid HMPE Steel (for comparison)
Total weight in air (kg/m) 23.0 12.0 8.4 57.0
Total weight in water (kg/m) 5.9 3.3 Buoyant 48.0
Typical overall diameter (mm) 175.0 120.0 125.0 108.0
FIGURE 1
Comparison of Static and Dynamic Stiffness of Three Fiber Materials
a) Static stiffness
60
50
40
30
Krs
20
10
0
Polyester Aramid HMPE
100
80 HMPE
Aramid
60
Krd
40
Polyester
20
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Mean Load, %MBS
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 19
Section 4 HMPE Mooring Design and Analysis
2 HMPE Creep
The major issue of HMPE is its tendency to creep, which should be addressed in the design of permanent
moorings. One of the main concerns with HMPE's high creep rate is the potential for failure via creep
rupture. As a HMPE rope creeps under tension, eventually it stretches to the point of complete failure.
Another concern is the need for re-tensioning because of HMPE's high creep rate. Furthermore the high
creep rate can lower the quasi-static stiffness over long storm duration. Factors affecting HMPE creep
behavior are fiber type, applied load, time, and temperature, as discussed below.
Similar considerations should also be given to MODU moorings, but the concern for creep and creep
rupture is less for MODU operations because of the short duration of these operations.
FIGURE 2
Typical HMPE Creep Curve
I II III
Strain (%)
TIme (s)
20 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 4 HMPE Mooring Design and Analysis
FIGURE 3
Typical HMPE Creep Rate Curve
I II III
Creep rate (1/s)
Strain (%)
FIGURE 4
Impact of Load and Temperature on Creep Rate
1.E-04
70°C
1.E-05 50°C
30°C
Creep rate (1/s)
1.E-06 20°C
10°C
1.E-07
1.E-08
1.E-09
1.E-10
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Load (MPa)
It can be seen that creep rate increases with increasing temperature. Section 4, Figure 5 shows the mean
annual water temperature as a function of water depth for GOM [19]. To avoid excessive creep, HMPE
ropes should be placed at a depth where the creep performance meets the design criteria.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 21
Section 4 HMPE Mooring Design and Analysis
FIGURE 5
GOM Water Temperature Distribution
22 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 4 HMPE Mooring Design and Analysis
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 23
Section 4 HMPE Mooring Design and Analysis
3 Quasi-Static Stiffness
Creep has much higher impact on the quasi-static stiffness for HMPE than for polyester. Equation 3.4 in
3/5.1 should be modified to the following equation for HMPE:
Krs = (F2 – F1)/(E2 – E1 + C t) ..................................................................................................... (4.5)
where
F1 = starting test tension, typically pre-tension of mooring line (%MBS)
F2 = ending test tension, typically storm mean load (%MBS)
E1 = starting strain (%)
E2 = ending strain (%)
C = creep coefficient
t = duration of the environmental event
An example for HMPE quasi-static stiffness is provided in A2/5.3.
4 Fatigue
24 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 5: Aramid Mooring Design and Analysis
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 25
Section 5 Aramid Mooring Design and Analysis
3 Tension-Tension Fatigue
Tension-Tension fatigue design curve cannot be generated at this point because of lack of data. Fatigue
analysis should be focused on the upper chain segment, and the tension range for the upper chain should be
based on proper stiffness values for the aramid rope.
26 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 6: Design and Analysis for Other Fiber Ropes
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 27
Section 7: Summary of Deign Criteria
1 Tension Criteria
Tension limits and factors of safety for intact and one line damaged condition for the most loaded line
based on dynamic analysis are provided in Section 7, Table 1.
TABLE 1
Tension Limit and Factor of Safety for Dynamic Analysis
Tension Limit (% MBS) Equivalent Factor of Safety
Intact 55 1.82
Damaged 70 1.43
2 Fatigue Criteria
Factors of safety for fatigue life are as follows:
TABLE 2
Factor of Safety for Fatigue Life
Component Fatigue Life/Design Service Life
Inspectable Areas 3
Non-Inspectable & Critical Areas 10
3 HMPE Creep
• Creep strain limit for design service life: 10%
• Factor of safety against creep rupture: 5 (creep is monitored) or 10 (creep is not monitored)
28 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 8: Testing of Rope
1 General
This Section provides guidance for conducting rope tests to determine fiber rope properties.
TABLE 1
Test Requirements
Subsection Test Type Fiber Type Requirement
8/4 Minimum Breaking Strength All Required
8/5 Elongation and Stiffness All Required
8/6 Splice Qualification All Required
8/7 Particle Ingress Resistance All *
8/8 Torque Match with Steel Wire Rope All **
8/9 HMPE Creep Rate Verification HMPE Required
8/10 Aramid Axial Compression Fatigue Aramid Required
Notes:
* Required for rope preset on seabed and reuse of an accidentally dropped rope
** Required for fiber rope connected with torque wire rope (6- or 8-strand) for permanent mooring
TABLE 2
Group Approval
Subsection Test Type Group Approval
8/4 Minimum Breaking Strength No
8/5 Elongation and Stiffness Dynamic stiffness only
8/6 Splice Qualification Yes
8/7 Particle Ingress Resistance Yes
8/8 Torque Match with Steel Wire Rope No
8/9 HMPE Creep Rate Verification No
8/10 Aramid Axial Compression Fatigue Yes
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 29
Section 8 Testing of Rope
iii) Two samples: qualify ropes between 80% MBS of the small and 120% MBS of the large test
sample. The 2-sample approach is not applicable to dynamic stiffness test.
iv) Group approval applies only to ropes with same design parameters as indicated below:
• Subrope construction
• Yarn type
• Number of layers in eye configuration
• D/d ratio for hardware
• Shape of hardware bearing surface
• Splice lengths (number of strand tucks and tapered tucks)
• Chafe protection material and application in the eye
• Soil filter material and design (for “Particle Ingress Resistance” test only)
TABLE 3
Test Sample Requirements
Subsection Test Type Subrope Sample Same Splice as Minimum Sample
Allowed for Parallel Production Rope Length
Construction? Required?
8/4 Minimum Breaking Strength No Yes 40D
8/5 Elongation and Stiffness Yes No 5m
8/6 Splice Qualification No Yes 40D
8/7 Particle Ingress Resistance No Yes 40D
8/8 Torque Match with Steel Wire Rope No Yes Same length as
steel wire rope
8/9 HMPE Creep Rate Verification Yes No 5m
8/10 Aramid Axial Compression Fatigue No Yes 40D
Notes:
1 All samples should be full rope samples with 2 exceptions for tests of parallel construction ropes. Subrope samples
can be used for these 2 tests, and the subrope MBS can be taken as the full rope MBS divided by the number of
subropes.
2 The sample length is the length between the bearing points (Section 8, Figure 1). D is sample diameter
3 The samples should be terminated in the same manner as the production with exception for 2 tests. For these two
tests the terminations should be of sufficient strength to safely withstand at least 70% of the rope MBS. The
sample length should be at least 5 m. The gage marks should be no closer than 3 times rope diameter from the last
tuck of rope splices.
4 In general, the sample should not have been previously tensioned to more than 5% of its estimated breaking
strength nor have been maintained under steady or cyclic tension except as noted. This criterion does not apply to
the test for used ropes.
5 The entire sample including terminations should be soaked in fresh water for 4 hours (subrope) or 12 hours (full
rope) before testing. The sample should be tested as soon as practical after being removed from the water. If there
is a delay of more than 16 hours after soaking, the sample should be soaked again for 4 hours (subrope) or 12
hours (full rope).
30 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 8 Testing of Rope
FIGURE 1
Typical Test Setup
Bearing point to bearing point length
Extensometer length
Direction of Direction of
load load
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 31
Section 8 Testing of Rope
Special attention should be paid to testing with dynamic loads such as fatigue and splice qualification test.
When rope temperature indicates a risk of overheating, the following measures should be considered:
i) Stop the test and resume the test after the temperature is lowered to an acceptable level
ii) Increase the period of the dynamic load
iii) Increase the water flow
32 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 8 Testing of Rope
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 33
Section 8 Testing of Rope
34 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 8 Testing of Rope
TABLE 4
Dynamic Stiffness Test Matrix for General Applications
Case Tmean Tamp Tmin Tmax Period
Number (%MBS) (%MBS) (%MBS) (%MBS) (sec)
1 15 5 10 20 250
2 20 3 17 23 12 to 35
3 20 3 17 23 250
4 23 16 7 39 250
5 30 16 14 46 12 to 35
6 30 16 14 46 250
7 30 28 2 58 250
8 35 8 27 43 12 to 35
9 35 8 27 43 250
10 40 30 10 70 12 to 35
11 40 30 10 70 250
12 50 20 30 70 12 to 35
13 50 20 30 70 250
14 60 10 50 70 250
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 35
Section 8 Testing of Rope
6 Splice Qualification
This test is intended to demonstrate that the splice of the rope is properly designed and made. The test
procedure is as follows:
i) Apply either one of the following cyclic loadings at a period of less than 1 minute per cycle.
• Tension range of 10% - 50% MBS for 17,000 cycles
• Tension range of 5% - 55% MBS for 5,500 cycles
ii) After cycling, examine the entire length of the rope including terminations in detail for any pending
failure.
iii) Record the load range, number of applied cycles, and signs of deterioration, if any.
36 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 8 Testing of Rope
FIGURE 2
Example Soil Grading
Y
1 2 3 4
100 0
90 10
80 20
70 30
60 40
50 50
40 60
30 70
20 80
10 90
0 100
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 X
Key
1 clay ≤ 2 µm
2 silt > 2 µm and ≤ 63 µm
3 sand > 63 µm and ≤ 2 mm
4 gravel > 2 mm and ≤ 63 mm
X particle size (mm)
Y passing percentage (%)
Z retained percentage (%)
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 37
Section 8 Testing of Rope
38 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 9: Testing of Yarn
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 39
Section 9 Testing of Yarn
FIGURE 1
Minimum Requirement for Yarn-on-Yarn Abrasion Test
Y
100000
10000
1000
100
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 X
Key
X test load, Ftest, in millinewtons per tex (mN/tex)
Y number of cycles to failure, N
40 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 10: Rope Design
1 General
The most commonly used type of fiber rope for offshore moorings consists of parallel subropes held together
by a braided jacket (parallel construction). The subropes consist of strands in helical (laid) or braided
arrangement. The strands are made up with yarns. Rope constructions resembling steel wire rope are also
used, either as subropes or as full rope (wire rope construction). Soil filter is typically incorporated between
the jacket and the rope core to block harmful soil particles. Fiber ropes are terminated with spliced eyes.
Most fiber ropes are non-torque type, i.e. the rope does not exert torque when loaded. When a fiber rope is
connected to a torque steel wire rope such as 6-strand wire rope, a “torque-matched” rope is sometimes
used (Subsection 3/12).
3 Rope Jacket
Rope jacket should be sufficiently dense to protect the rope from mechanical damage during handling and
service. It should be permeable for water to flood the rope core. Visible marking such as colored strands or
brightly colored longitudinal stripes should be incorporated in the rope jacket for monitoring rope twist
during installation.
4 Soil Filter
Soil filter should be effective to prevent ingress of particles exceeding 5 microns, based on standard
filtering test such as ASTM D 4751 [26]. For ropes preset on the seafloor or reuse of rope accidentally
dropped on the seafloor, the requirement and testing specified in Subsection 12/3 should be met.
5 Termination
Fiber ropes should be terminated with spliced eyes. For terminations other than spliced eye, detailed design
and testing information should be submitted for approval on a case by case basis. Important factors for
spliced eyes are D/d ratio and protection of the rope eye. If the spliced eyes are fitted on thimbles, the
thimble should be a neat fit on the connecting (shackle or H-link) pin, and the root diameter should be
specified.
Rope jacket and soil filter should be restored to cover splice after splicing. Protective cloth should be
provided between the splice eye and the termination hardware that fits through the eye. Such cloth should
provide low friction and high wear resistance. The splice should be covered by elastomeric material such
as polyurethane coating to protect against chafing. The coating can be omitted for test samples.
A subrope should be spliced back to itself or in a matched pair.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 41
Section 10 Rope Design
6 Rope Continuity
Strand or subrope should be manufactured continuously for each rope segment without interchange or
splice. Long rope segments consisting of strand splices will be specially considered based on detailed
information of design, testing, and manufacturing.
Rope cover may include properly staggered strand interchanges.
42 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 11: Rope Production and Certification
3 Material Certification
The rope manufacturer should certify that the fiber material used in making the rope is that specified in the
Rope Design Specification. The yarn producer should certify the type and grade of fiber material, including
finish designation, merge number, and other identifying information. Either the rope manufacturer or the
yarn producer should certify the following yarn properties, using the test methods specified in Section 9:
• Yarn size
• Dry break strength
• Dry elongation to break
• Dry creep
• Wet yarn-on-yarn abrasion
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 43
Section 11 Rope Production and Certification
5.1 General
This Subsection provides guidance on inspection, testing, and certification of the finished rope product.
Specific survey requirements during prototype testing and production are summarized in Section 14.
The inspection should be carried out by the attending ABS Surveyor. Testing of components and samples
of the produced rope should be witnessed by the attending ABS Surveyor.
44 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 11 Rope Production and Certification
6 Marking
Each fiber-rope assembly should be marked at each end with a durable and unique identifier traceable to
appropriate certification with at least the following information:
• Manufacturer identification
• Order and part number
• Rope MBS
• Month and year of production
• ABS certification number
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 45
Section 12: Handling and Installation
1 General
This Section provides guidance for handling and installation of fiber ropes. In general, the guidance in
Appendix G of API RP 2SM (May 2007) [28] should be followed to minimize damage during handling
and installation. Other guidance is included in the ABS FPI Rules [1] and the applicable sections of the
ABS MODU Rules [3].
4 Preloading Operation
The preloading operation to remove as much permanent elongation as possible and to increase stiffness of
the rope should be carefully planned before installation. The preload level and duration should be determined
based on a number of considerations including amount of permanent elongation to be removed, limitation
of preloading equipment, and time required to complete the preload operation. The preload duration should
not be less than one hour. The preload level and duration achieved and rope elongation should be recorded
for each step and compared with the expected values.
46 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 13: Surveys During and After Installation
1 General
Surveys during and after installation should generally be based on the following documents:
• API RP 2I [14] (fiber rope and steel components)
• ABS FPI Rules [1] (steel components)
• ABS MODU Rules [3] (steel components)
A typical fiber rope mooring system consists of steel components at the floating vessel and anchor ends,
and therefore inspection procedures for fiber rope moorings and steel moorings are closely related. The
inspection objective, type, and schedule established for steel moorings in the above documents are generally
applicable to fiber rope moorings. The following sections address only inspection schedule and additional
issues unique to fiber ropes.
The decision to retire a fiber rope during a survey should be based on the fiber rope discard criteria specified
in API RP 2I [14].
Monitoring of fiber rope mooring may require additional information, such as rope elongation, time period
between re-tensioning, removal and testing of inserts if applicable, and inspection techniques. Methods to
acquire this additional information should be included in the operations, maintenance, and in-service monitoring
plan for ABS review.
2 Permanent Mooring
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 47
Section 13 Surveys During and After Construction
• The Surveyor should review the records of anchor leg re-tensioning caused by creep, and
confirm with designer that adequate chain/wire segments are available for further re-tensioning
due to creep such that the fiber rope does not come into contact with the chain stoppers,
fairleads, etc., and stays below the water surface. See 3/1.1 for determination of lengths of
chain/wire segments.
• The Surveyor should verify that recorded values of creep are in accordance with the anticipated
design values. Any deviance from design values should be justified by the designer, and
appropriate remedial action should be taken accordingly.
• The pre-tension of mooring lines should be within the designer recommended limits. It should
be noted that the measurement of catenary angles as indicated in the FPI Rules may not be
sufficient for TLMs (Taut Leg Moorings). Other means should be used to determine the
mooring line tensions to the satisfaction of the attending Surveyor.
2.2.2 Special Periodical Surveys
A Special Periodical Survey should be completed within five (5) years after the date of build or
after the crediting date of the previous Special Periodical Survey. The survey scheme should include
methods and techniques used to verify that the system is operating as designed. In accordance
with Part 7 of the FPI Rules, Special Periodical Survey should include a dry-docking or underwater
inspection (ROV or diver), and all components of mooring system should be examined to the
satisfaction of the attending Surveyor. In addition, particular attention should be given to the
examination of the following for fiber ropes:
• Records of anchor leg re-tensioning caused by non-recoverable elongation should be reviewed,
and confirmed with the designer that adequate lengths of chain/wire segments are available
for further re-tensioning due to non-recoverable elongation such that the fiber rope does not
come into contact with the fairlead and stays below the water surface. See 3/1.1 for determination
of lengths of chain/wire segments.
• The pretensions of mooring lines are within the designer’s recommended limits. The measurement
of catenary angles may not necessarily be very accurate for taut leg moorings. Thus other
means should be used to determine the mooring line tensions.
• Conditions of the terminations are checked
• Foreign particles in way of rope body and crevices are examined and removed if possible.
• Marine growth, if affecting the condition of the rope, should be removed if possible, by a
method which will not damage the rope.
2.2.3 Special Event Survey
A special event survey should be considered after severe storms or other events that warrant inspection
(dropped objects, collision, and contact with work wire, etc.). The scope of Special Event Survey
should be determined based on the purpose of the survey. For example if the survey is needed
because of dropped object, the survey may be limited to the area that can be damaged by the
dropped object. After a severe storm, which is defined as environmental conditions approaching
the design storm conditions, the measures recommended for the Annual Survey should be followed
as minimum. Some of the measures recommended for the Special Periodical Survey should be
considered, if applicable.
3 MODU Mooring
For MODU moorings, reference should be made to the applicable sections of the ABS MODU Rules [3].
Regular inspection of fiber mooring ropes may be feasible, while the fiber rope moorings are recovered
and before they are redeployed at a new location. In general before a fiber rope is reinstalled it should be
carefully inspected for damage to the jacket, rope core, terminations, and termination hardware. Such
inspection can be performed during recovery of the moorings on board the recovery vessel(s), or it can be
performed at a base port facility.
48 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Section 13 Surveys During and After Construction
After a severe storm, which is defined as environmental conditions approaching the design storm conditions,
inspection of the fiber mooring line should take place immediately or at the next rig move.
In the areas of tropical cyclone (hurricane, typhoon, etc.), MODUs may encounter environmental loads
much higher than the design loads, and mooring failures are possible. Rigorous mooring inspection is more
critical for operations in these areas to address the integrity of the mooring system and minimize the
probability of mooring failures. Also guidance is needed to address the reuse of the components from a
mooring damaged by a tropical cyclone. Appendix B of API RP 2I [14] should be followed for additional
guidance for MODU mooring inspection in these areas.
4 Test Insert
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 49
Section 14: Requirement for Witness of ABS Surveyor
50 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 1: References
APPENDIX 1 References
[1] ABS Rules for Building and Classing Floating Production Installations, 2014.
[2] API RP 2SK: Design and Analysis of Stationkeeping Systems for Floating Structures, 3rd Edition,
2005.
[3] ABS Rules for Building and Classing Mobile Offshore Drilling Units, 2008.
[4] Francois, M. and P. Davies, Fiber Rope Deep Water Mooring: A Practical Model for the Analysis
of Polyester Mooring Systems, Rio Oil and Gas Conference IBP24700 (2000)
[5] ABS Technical Report TR-2010-03, “Polyester Rope Stiffness modeling, Testing, and Analysis”,
ABS JIP Phase 1 report, June 2010.
[6] Engineers Design Guide for Deepwater Fiber Moorings. 1999, NDE/TTI.
[7] Karel Devos, Carina De Plukker, Peter Van den Berghe, Experiences in Rope Design for Offshore
renewable Energy Projects, Proceedings of the 16th Offshore Symposium, February 2010, Houston,
Texas
[8] Chaplin C.R., Del Vecchio C. J. M., “Appraisal of Lightweight Moorings for Deep Water
Applications”, OTC 6965, 1992.
[9] Casey, N.F. and S.J. Banfield, Full-Scale Fiber Deepwater Mooring Ropes: Advancing the Knowledge
of Spliced Systems, OTC 14243 (2002)
[10] Kwan, Chi-Tat (Tom), Polyester Rope Stiffness Modeling, DeepStar CTR 6403 Final Report,
February 2004
[11] Francois, M. and P. Davies, Characterization of polyester Mooring Lines, OMAE2008-57136,
OMAE, 2008
[12] Huntley, M. B., Polyester Mooring Rope: Length Determination and Static Modulus, MTS 2006
[13] Flory, J. and S.J. Banfield, Durability of Polyester Ropes used as Deepwater Mooring Lines, MTS
Oceans 2006
[14] API RP 2I: In-service Inspection of Mooring Hardware for Floating Structures, 3rd Edition, 2008.
[15] Sharples, Malcom, “Post Mortem Failure Assessment of MODUs During Hurricane Ivan,” U.S.
Minerals Management Service Report No. 0105PO39221, 2006
[16] Davies, P., et al., Mooring in Deep Water: Material Choices, Present and Future, UDET 2002
[17] Davies, P., et al., Synthetic Mooring Lines for Depths to 3000 Meters, OTC 14246 (2002)
[18] Vlasblom, M.P., Bosman, R.L.M., Predicting the Creep Lifetime of HMPE Mooring Rope
Applications, MTS Oceans 2006
[19] Joseph Forrest, Ettore Marcucci, and Paul Scott, Geothermal Gradients and Subsurface
Temperatures in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Search and Discovery Article #30048 (2007)
[20] C. H. Chi, E. M. Lundhild, T. Veselis, and M. B. Huntley, “Enabling Ultra-Deepwater Mooring
with Aramid Fiber Rope Technology”, OTC 20074, 2009.
[21] CI Standard: “Test Method for Fiber Rope”, CI 1500-02, the Cordage Institute, Hingham, MA.
May 2006.
[22] BS ISO 18692:2007, “Fiber Ropes for Offshore Stationkeeping - Polyester”, 2007.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 51
Section 8 Fatigue Damage Assessment
[23] ASTM Test Method D 885: “Tire Cords, Tire Cord Fabrics, and Industrial Filament Yarns Made From
Man-Made Organic-Based Fibers”, American Society for Testing and Materials, Conshohocken, PA.
[24] BS EN ISO 2062, “Methods for Determination of Breaking Strength and Extension”, 1995.
[25] CI Standard: “Test Method for Yarn-on-Yarn Abrasion”, CI 1503-00, the Cordage Institute,
Hingham, MA, 2000.
[26] ASTM D 4751 – 04: Standard Test Method for Determining Apparent Opening Size of a
Geotextile, 2004
[27] OCIMF: Guidelines for the Purchasing, Prototype testing and Production of SPM Hawsers, 2000.
[28] API RP 2SM: Recommended Practice for Design, Manufacture, Installation, and Maintenance of
Synthetic Fiber Ropes for Offshore Mooring, 1st Edition, 2001, and the 2007 Addendum.
52 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 2: Supporting Information and Examples
TABLE 1
Dynamic Stiffness Coefficients for Preliminary Design
Coefficient Upper Bound Lower Bound
Intercept, α 26.00 20.30
Mean (%), β 0.28 0.22
Ten. Amp. (%), γ –0.42 –0.33
Log (P), δ –0.97 –0.76
Note: Refer to Section 3, Equation 3.3 for the definitions of these coefficients
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 53
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
TABLE 2
Dynamic Stiffness Values for Preliminary Design
Level Ratio of Max. Tension Dynamic Stiffness Dynamic Stiffness
Amplitude over Mean Tension Upper Bound (MBS) Lower Bound (MBS)
1 Less than 0.2 35 29
2 About 0.5 31 26
3 Over 0.7 27 23
TABLE 3
Quasi-static Stiffness Values for Preliminary Design
Rope Stiffness Class
Rope Condition Low Median High
(MBS) (MBS) (MBS)
Post-installation 10 13 15
Aged 13 15 18
54 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
TABLE 4
Example Dynamic Stiffness Test Data
Stiffness Mean Tension Tension Amplitude Log Period Period
(MBS) (%MBS) (%MBS) (sec.) (sec.)
24.2 15 5 2.08 120
26.2 20 5 2.08 120
24.5 25 10 2.08 120
23.7 35 15 2.08 120
26.7 20 5 1.15 14
29.7 25 5 1.15 14
29.6 40 10 1.15 14
31.4 50 10 1.15 14
FIGURE 1
Example Quasi-static Stiffness Test Data
70
60
50
Load (%MBS)
40
30
20
10
0
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00
Relative Strain (%)
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 55
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
Appendix 2, Table 5 provides the creep data at 45% MBS, and Appendix 2, Figure 2 presents a plot of the
creep data and a linear regression line for the data. The slope of the regression line, 0.225, is the creep
coefficient C in the quasi-static stiffness equation, which is:
Krs = (45 – 10)/[2.86 – 0 + 0.225 log(t)]
Krs = 35/[2.86 + 0.225 log(t)] (mean load = 45% MBS)
Similarly the equations for the other 2 load levels are:
Krs = 20/[1.6 + 0.15 log(t)] (mean load = 30% MBS)
Krs = 50/[4.22 + 0.265 log(t)] (mean load = 60% MBS)
TABLE 5
Creep Data at 45% MBS
Load Level Time Log Time Relative
(%MBS) (Minutes) (Minute) Strain (%)
45 1 0.00 0
45 10 1.00 0.25
45 100 2.00 0.45
FIGURE 2
Determination of Creep Coefficient for Quasi-Static Stiffness
0.4
0.1
0
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50
Log Time (Minute)
Quasi-static stiffness testing was also conducted for an aged rope, and three quasi-static stiffness equations
can be obtained by the same procedure. Appendix 2, Figure 3 presents a plot of the six equations, which
can be used conveniently for design. For practical purpose, the load level can be considered the mean load
for the seastate, and the time can be considered the duration of the sea state.
56 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
FIGURE 3
Quasi-Static Stiffness Design Chart
16.00
Quasi-Static Stiffness (MBS)
14.00
12.00 30% Post-installation
10.00 45% Post-installation
8.00 60% Post-installation
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 57
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
58 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
FIGURE 4
Spar Mooring Pattern and Environmental Directions
4
5
6 y
2
x Inline
1
7
8
Perpendicular
9
TABLE 6
Estimated Tension for Storm Environments
Environmental Condition Most Loaded Line Tension (% MBS)
Load Case Mean Max Amplitude
100-year Intact 32 10
Damaged 42 11
10-year Intact 25 6
Damaged 34 8
1-year Intact 20 1
Damaged 25 1.2
TABLE 7
Dynamic Stiffness for Storm Environments
Environmental Frequency Dynamic Stiffness (MBS)
Load Case Intact Damaged
100-year WF 31 33
LF 29 31
10-year WF 30 32
LF 28 30
1-year WF 30 32
LF 29 30
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 59
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
TABLE 8
Dynamic Stiffness for Fatigue Environments
Environmental Frequency Dynamic Stiffness (MBS)
Load Case
100-year WF 34
LF 32
10-year WF 32
LF 30
1-year WF 31
LF 29
TABLE 9
Estimated Mooring Line Tensions under Spar VIM
Environmental Condition Most Loaded Line Tension (% MBS)
Load Direction Mean Max Amplitude
Inline Intact 44 4
Damaged 64 3
Perpendicular Intact 47 9
Damaged 68 12
TABLE 10
Dynamic Stiffness for Spar VIM
Environmental Frequency Dynamic Stiffness(MBS)
Load Direction Intact Damaged
Inline LF 33 38
Perpendicular LF 30 34
60 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 61
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
4.4.1 FD Analysis
Two analyses are conducted. The first one is a static analysis for mean load only using Krs = 12,
and the second one is a FD dynamic analysis using Krd = 29. The analysis results are summarized
in Appendix 2, Table 11.
TABLE 11
FD Analysis Results
Stiffness Offset (m) Tension (kN)
Mean Sig. LF Sig. WF Mean Sig. LF Sig. WF
Krs = 12 40.92 7771
Krd = 29 2.27 3.85 616 1010
The responses are WF dominating. Assuming Rayleigh distribution for peak values for a 3-hour
storm, the following maximum responses are calculated based on Equation 5.2 and 5.4 of API RP
2SK :
Smax = Smean + Swfmax + Slfsig = 40.92 + 1.86 × 3.85 + 2.27 = 50.35 m
4.4.2 TD Analysis
Two analyses are conducted. The first one is a static analysis for mean load only using Krs = 12,
and the second one is a TD dynamic analysis using Krd = 29. The analysis results are summarized
in Appendix 2, Table 12.
TABLE 12
TD Analysis Results
Stiffness Offset (m) Tension (kN)
Mean Max Mean Max
Krs = 12 40.92 7771
Krd = 29 18.0 26.38 7930 9940
62 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
TABLE 13
Example Fatigue Life Prediction
Fatigue Analysis for FPSO/Brazil in 6000 ft WD
Fatigue Hs Tp (sec) Tz (sec) Tn (sec) Nwf Nlf Prob. Of T Range T Range Annual Dam Annual Dam. Annual Dam.
Bin (ft) Occur. WF SD LF SD WF LF Total
1 2.58 5.11 3.94 418 506055 4768 0.0632 0.06 3.70 3.8088E-10 1.0865E-06 1.0869E-06
2 3.94 6.05 4.66 418 849537 9481 0.1256 0.27 7.96 7.2754E-08 2.1514E-05 2.1587E-05
3 4.36 6.31 4.86 418 979040 11377 0.1507 0.40 10.10 2.8192E-07 5.2740E-05 5.3022E-05
4 4.69 6.49 5.00 418 822757 9842 0.1304 0.53 11.60 5.3873E-07 6.9120E-05 6.9659E-05
5 5.15 6.74 5.19 418 661023 8214 0.1089 0.79 14.30 1.4775E-06 1.0807E-04 1.0955E-04
6 5.53 6.94 5.34 418 267395 3417 0.0453 0.98 16.00 1.1220E-06 6.2974E-05 6.4096E-05
7 6.37 7.34 5.65 418 705197 9541 0.1264 1.68 22.20 1.5044E-05 4.6965E-04 4.8469E-04
8 6.98 7.61 5.86 418 745636 10456 0.1386 2.36 27.10 4.4096E-05 9.3626E-04 9.8035E-04
9 7.87 7.99 6.15 418 242160 3561 0.0472 3.71 35.70 5.5637E-05 7.2904E-04 7.8467E-04
10 8.86 8.37 6.45 419 271694 4186 0.0556 5.80 46.70 2.3851E-04 1.9182E-03 2.1567E-03
11 10.82 9.07 6.99 419 34760 579 0.0077 11.30 72.30 2.2566E-04 9.8533E-04 1.2110E-03
12 14.10 10.09 7.77 421 1667 31 0.0004 24.20 131.00 1.0632E-04 3.1105E-04 4.1737E-04
1.0000 Total 6.8876E-04 5.6651E-03 6.3538E-03
Fatigue Life (year) 1.5739E+02
TABLE 14
Comparison of Fatigue life Prediction
Case Stiffness Model Quasi-static Krs Dynamic Krd Chain Fatigue Life
No. (year)
A1 3 Slope 15 25 (LF), 28 (WF) 157
A2 2 Slope 15 28 137
A3 Upper bound 28 28 116
Rc = 4 × 10-11 × Tm4.54
where
Rc = creep rate (1/day)
Tm = mean tension (%MBS)
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 63
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
The analysis results are presented in Appendix 2, Table 15, which indicates:
• The annual creep strain is 0.44%
• The total creep strain for a design service life of 20 years is 8.8%
• Three low weather bins (2, 3, and 4) contribute to about 65% of the total creep strain
TABLE 15
Creep Analysis Results
Weather Bin Hs Probability No. of Days Mean Tens. Mean Tens. Creep Rate Creep/year Weight
(ft) (%) per Year (kip) (%MBS) (1/day) (%) (%)
1 3.6 16.96 61.904 153 13.78 6.0E-06 0.037 8.37
2 8.3 36.29 132.459 162 14.59 7.7E-06 0.102 23.21
3 13.01 26.07 95.156 175.7 15.83 1.1E-05 0.106 24.11
4 17.71 13.05 47.633 192 17.30 1.7E-05 0.080 18.05
5 22.42 5.31 19.382 215.5 19.41 2.8E-05 0.055 12.41
6 27.12 1.64 5.986 242.4 21.84 4.8E-05 0.029 6.54
7 31.83 0.52 1.898 278.2 25.06 9.0E-05 0.017 3.87
8 36.53 0.13 0.475 324.8 29.26 1.8E-04 0.009 1.96
9 41.24 0.02 0.073 376.9 33.95 3.6E-04 0.003 0.59
10 45.94 0.01 0.037 480.2 43.26 1.1E-03 0.004 0.89
Total 100 365 0.44 100.00
Tr = 2 × 1012 × Tm−6.25
where
Tr = creep rupture time (day)
Tm = mean tension (%MBS)
The analysis results are presented in Appendix 2, Table 16, which indicates:
• The annual creep rupture damage is 0.0076
• The predicted creep rupture life is 1/0.0076 = 132 years
• Four low weather bins (2, 3, 4 and 5) contribute to about 68% of the creep rupture damage
64 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
TABLE 16
Creep Rupture Analysis Results
Weather Bin Hs Probability No. of Days Mean Tens. Mean Tens. Rupt. Time Creep Dam. Weight
(ft) (%) per Year (kip) (%MBS) (Days) per year (%)
1 3.6 16.96 61.904 153 13.78 151189.4 0.0004 5.41
2 8.3 36.29 132.459 162 14.59 105770.4 0.0013 16.55
3 13.01 26.07 95.156 175.7 15.83 63678.9 0.0015 19.75
4 17.71 13.05 47.633 192 17.30 36573.9 0.0013 17.21
5 22.42 5.31 19.382 215.5 19.41 17772.1 0.0011 14.41
6 27.12 1.64 5.986 242.4 21.84 8519.9 0.0007 9.28
7 31.83 0.52 1.898 278.2 25.06 3601.7 0.0005 6.96
8 36.53 0.13 0.475 324.8 29.26 1368.1 0.0003 4.58
9 41.24 0.02 0.073 376.9 33.95 539.8 0.0001 1.79
10 45.94 0.01 0.037 480.2 43.26 118.8 0.0003 4.06
Total 100 365 0.0076 100.00
FIGURE 5
Example Quasi-Static Stiffness for HMPE
50.0
Quasi-Static Stiffness Kr
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Storm Duration (hr)
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 65
Appendix 2 Supporting Information and Examples
66 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 3: Alternative Procedure to Determine MBS
1 General
For ropes of parallel construction with MBS greater than 2000 MT, a procedure for a combination of
subrope and full rope tests can be considered, as illustrated in the following examples. This procedure
should be used only when serious limitations such as unavailability of large test machine are encountered.
ABS has not developed detailed test specification and specific acceptance criteria for this procedure, and
only general guidance is provided in this Appendix. Should situation dictate that this procedure must be
used, detailed testing specifications should be developed based on the principles provided here or other
valid principles. Also documentation supporting the reliability of the testing and data analysis procedures
should be submitted in a timely manner to allow review well in advance of their implementation.
Assumption:
A rope has an MBS of 2600 MT and the test machine can only test ropes to 2000 MT. The rope has N
subropes.
Procedure:
1. Conduct subrope and full rope break tests for ropes of the same design. The minimum number of
tests is shown in Appendix 3, Table 1. Let:
Lf = break load of full rope
Ls = average break load of the subropes (minimum 4 tests)
N = number of subropes in full rope
Conversion factor F = Lf/(NLs) .................................................................................. (A3.1)
TABLE 1
Alternative Method A to Determine MBS
Rope No. MBS (MT) No. of No. of Conversion Factor Method for F
Full Rope Test Subrope Test F
1 1,300 2 4 F1 (2) Tested
2 1,700 3 4 F2 (3) Tested
3 2,000 4 4 F3 (4) Tested
4 (Target) 2,600 0 4 F4 Estimated
Total 9 16
Note that MBS for rope No. 1 and No. 3 should be greater than 50% and 75% of the target MBS,
respectively. MBS for rope No. 2 should be close to the average MBS of rope No. 1 and No. 3.
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 67
Appendix 3 Alternate Procedure to Determine MBS
2. Conduct regression analysis for the conversion factors F1, F2 and F3 (total 9) and determine F4
based on evaluation of test data and the statistical values (mean, mean minus SD, mean minus
2SD) from the regression analysis for all rope samples.
3. The estimated break load for the target rope is:
Lf = F4 × N × Ls ...................................................................................................................................................................(A3.2)
The MBS will be accepted if the estimated break load is greater than the MBS.
4. This method applies only to ropes with same design parameters:
• Number of subropes
• Sub-rope construction
• Yarn type
• Number of layers in eye configuration
• D/d ratio for hardware
• Shape of hardware bearing surface
• Splice lengths (Number of strand tucks and tapered tucks)
• Chafe protection material and application in the eye
Assumption:
A rope has an MBS of 2600 MT and the test machine can only test ropes to 2000 MT. The rope has 26
subropes (N = 26).
Procedure:
1. Conduct subrope and full rope break tests for ropes of the same design. The minimum number of
tests is shown in Appendix 3, Table 2 (refer to Equation A3.1).
TABLE 2
Alternative Method B to Determine MBS
Rope No. MBS N No. of No. of Conversion Factor Method for F
(MT) Full Rope Test Subrope Test F
1 13 2 F1 (2) Tested
2 17 3 F2 (3) Tested
3 20 4 F3 (4) Tested
4 (Target) 2,600 26 0 4 F4 Estimated
Total 9 4
Note that number of subropes for rope No. 1 and No. 3 should be greater than 50% and 75% of
that for the target rope, respectively. Number of subropes for rope No. 2 should be close to the
average number of subropes of rope No. 1 and No. 3.
2. Conduct regression analysis for the conversion factors F1, F2 and F3 (total 9) and determine F4
based on evaluation of test data and the statistical values (mean, mean minus SD, mean minus
2SD) from the regression analysis for all rope samples.
68 ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011
Appendix 3 Alternate Procedure to Determine MBS
ABS GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF FIBER ROPE FOR OFFSHORE MOORING . 2011 69