Japan Ocean Industries Association (hereafter JOIA) has been organizing the research project, "Study on Ice Load Acting on Marine Structures", since the fiscal year of 1993. In this paper, main outcomes from the studies during FY1998 carried out by the project are briefly described. And also on-going studies are briefly introduced.
Japan Ocean Industries Association has been organizing the research project, "Study on Ice Load Acting on Marine Structures", since the fiscal year of 1993. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry of the Japanese Government funds the project. The motivation behind the project was the national security of Japan, which to secure steady and abundant energy resources for a long time period is one of vital needs for Japan. Cold regions, especially ice-covered waters were recognized as regions where could be important for future developments of natural energy resources. Therefore, JOIA planned the research project to obtain better understandings ice load on marine structures in order to design safe and economical structures for the future developments. The research project has got into a new phase since FY1998. The project has clearly focused on its target for developing an Arctic structure to the Okhotsk Sea region, especially the offshore Sakhalin Island. In order to conduct the studies efficiently, the project made a structural rearrangement in the beginning of the fiscal year. Three working groups, the WG on Design Technology, the WG on Ice Loads and the WG on Earthquake Effects were organized to carry on the project. The project structure is summarized in Fig.1. The WG on Design Technology has focused on its activities to prepare a comprehensive document, which would be referred by designers when they design an Arctic structure in the Okhotsk Sea.
