Abstract
The fatigue strength analysis of VLFS is carried out by using a 3-dimensional plate finite element model with a zooming technology which performs the modeling of wide portions of the structure by a coarse mesh but the concerned parts by a very fine mesh of t by t level. And a stepwise substructure modeling technique for global loading conditions is applied which uses the motion response of the global structure from 2-D plate hydroelastic analysis as the enforcing nodal displacements of the concern 3-D structural zooming model. Seven incident wave angles and whole ranges of frequency domains of wave spectrum are considered. In order to consider the effect of breakwater, the modified JONSWAP wave spectrum is used. Applying the wave data of installation region, the longterm spectrum analysis is done based on stochastic process and the fatigue life of the structure is estimated. Finally some design considerations from the view point of fatigue strength analysis of VLFS are discussed.