Partial Safety Factors and Characteristic Values for Combined Extreme Wind and Wave Load Effects

Background: The present paper regards the concerted action of wind and wave loads on offshore wind turbines in the extreme storm event. The load combination problem involves the definition of the characteristic loads and safety factors. In wind engineering and offshore engineering well established practices for the definition of characteristic values and safety factors for wind and wave loads separately exist. The aim is to investigate the possibility of making a simple merger of these existing practices into a possibly conservative design rule. Method of Approach: The paper applies a simplified probabilistic approach giving an understanding of how the merging can possibly be established and finally gives first guidance on the choice of characteristic values and safety factors. Results and conclusions: Under the assumptions made herein, it is made probable that a simple combination rule can be established.