Performance shaping factors in reliability analysis of design of offshore structures

This paper summarizes development of a process that provides a link between a qualitative assessment and a quantitative probability analysis that can be used to help evaluate the reliability of offshore structures during the design phase. The qualitative analysis is used to define performance shapin g factors that are used to modify standard or normal rates of occurrence of design engineering errors in different tasks. When used by qualified and e xperienced assessors, the qualitative analysis is able to help evaluate com plex, organic, human, and organizational factors that are not easily evalua ted using quantitative analyses. Detailed studies of case histories involvi ng successful and unsuccessful design of offshore structures have been used to develop a calibrated scale to relate the results from a qualitative ass essment with input information used in a quantitative probabilistic risk an alysis. [S0892-7219(00)01103-1].