Risk-based maintenance scheduling using monitoring data for moored floating breakwaters

This research aims at developing an innovative framework for sophisticated maintenance scheduling over the design life for an array of floating breakwaters connected with hinges. The numerical analysis of the array of floating breakwaters is founded on a three dimensional analysis of the floating body coupled with the static and dynamic analysis of the mooring chains. The framework for efficient maintenance scheduling proposed herein is based on risk assessment. Furthermore, the application of this framework ensures the risk of the aforesaid floating structure is always within the desirable ranges over its design life, while the minimum number of maintenance interventions is applied. A probability logic approach is used for the inclusion of uncertainties in the risk quantification, which is achieved based on a Monte Carlo simulation technique. The effect of structural aging with time due to corrosion of mooring chains is considered, and thus, risk is assumed as time-evolved. Moreover, the methodology for risk assessment has the potential of continuous updating based on the availability of real-time monitoring data. Various illustrative examples are included in order to demonstrate the usefulness of the framework proposed for efficient maintenance scheduling, considering both cases of availability and lack of real-time monitoring data.