Nearside Mooring Design Considerations

The design life for the nearshore position mooring system is defined as its intended service life. The design life of the mooring system may be different from the design life of the floating structure to which it is connected. The design life for a nearshore position mooring should generally be 20 years, or in accordance with the intended onsite service time of the floating structure that uses the mooring system for position keeping. This applies to mooring line components, fenders and equipment that are not intended to be replaced within the design life. Depending on the inspection and maintenance programme, the actual design life of the mooring line components, fenders and equipment can vary if they are designed for easy retrieval, repair or replacement. Some mooring line components such as rope tails may be designed for temporary use. Such components should be periodically inspected during their service life and replaced if necessary.