OTC 21475

New Certification Procedures for Offshore Mooring Fiber Ropes

I. S. Hgst; V. hjem; and T. J. Paulsen, Det Norske Veritas AS
Copyright 2011, Offshore Technology Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston, Texas, USA, 25 May 2011.

This paper was selected for presentation by an OTC program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Offshore Technology Conference and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Offshore Technology Conference, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Offshore Technology Conference is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of OTC copyright.


Abstract
This paper describes recent changes to procedures for certification of synthetic-fiber deepwater mooring lines. Requirements
are introduced for certification of yarns with a fit-for-service approach. Approval programs for Manufacturers have been
requested by industry; these now form part of the procedures for end-product certification. The changes are discussed, together
with the practical implications to the industry of the three documents DNV-OS-E303 and approval programs 321 & 322.
The documents discussed in this paper cover approval of manufacturers for load-bearing yarns, approval of manufacturers
of offshore-mooring fiber ropes, and the certification of actual deliveries. Further use of the documents can be as basis for
specifying mooring lines, contractual agreement between purchaser and supplier, and in connection with manufacturing and
documentation independently of certification.
The main change compared to the previous issue of DNV-OS-E303 is that material requirements to load-bearing yarns
have been introduced. The material requirements to delivery yarns are included in the update of DNV-OS-E303, whilst the
requirements for approval of the manufacturers of yarns and ropes are introduced in the two new documents, approval
programs 321 & 322. Materials that may be used under these procedures are expanded to include aramid and HMPE. Other
materials can also be covered. Failure modes for different yarns are taken into account and the in-service condition assessment
is gone more thoroughly into. The documentation requirements for mobile and long-term moorings are split in two, which
reduces the requirements to mobile moorings. The scope of testing of subropes and full ropes are split accordingly and
requirements to TTR- or creep testing have been added. Requirements to termination hardware have been reformulated, and
the scope of survey for rope manufacturing has been specified in a similar way as for offshore mooring chain.
The new documents will impact the certification process for the industry in several ways. The amount of documentation to
be submitted for each delivery is substantially reduced. With the introduction of material requirements and approval programs
for manufacturers the focus on the right rope for the application has been emphasized.


Introduction
For certification of synthetic-fiber ropes for deepwater mooring under the auspices of Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the
requirements can now be found in three documents, each covering important steps in the process of obtaining complete end-
product certification:
DNV-OS-E303 Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes, October 2010.
Standard for Certification No. 2.9, Approval Programme No. 321 Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes, Nov. 2010.
Standard for Certification No. 2.9, Approval Programme No. 322 Yarns for Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes,
November 2010.

This paper describes recent changes to the procedures for certification of synthetic-fiber deepwater mooring lines. In
addition to the new requirements to approval of manufacturers for load-bearing yarns and fiber-rope segments, the
manufacturer of the termination hardware shall be approved in accordance with applicable Approval Program presented in
DNVs Standard for Certification No. 2.9. E.g. for cast thimbles the following Approval Program applies:
Standard for Certification No. 2.9, Approval Programme No. 303 Foundries Steel Castings, Oct. 2008.

In the case of H-links used directly as termination hardware the following documents apply:
DNV-OS-E302 Offshore Mooring Chain, October 2008.
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Standard for Certification No. 2.9, Approval Programme No. 316 Offshore mooring chain and accessories, to be
issued 2011.

The Offshore Standards and Standards for Certification issued by DNV can be obtained free-of-charge on the following
link: http://www.dnv.com/resources/rules_standards.

Changes and additions
There are three main novelties introduced in DNV-OS-E303, October 2010, which are:
Introduction of requirements to load-bearing yarn materials.
Introduction of requirements to approved manufacturers.
Appropriate reflection of relevance of time under tension as discussed in paper OTC 21734 (2011).

In addition to these main points, other improvements have been made such as the suggested Scope of Survey presented in
Appendix A. We have further removed descriptive information and advice pertaining to specific fiber-rope behavior in order
to focus DNV-OS-E303 on the requirements, documentation and the process pertaining to product certification.
Supporting advice will later be issued in the new Recommended Practice DNV-RP-E306 Design, Testing & Analysis with
Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes. The first issue is due to be published in 2011.
The requirements to Mobile Moorings and Long-Term Moorings have been more clearly separated, with Mobile Mooring
as the base case and with additional requirements to Long-term Mooring. This is further consistent with the approval of
manufacturer concentrating to Mobile Moorings. One benefit of basing the approval program on Mobile Mooring
requirements is the avoidance of the rather costly cyclic endurance test which pertains to Long-Term moorings. This test is
performed to ensure against abrasive degradation, particularly in the termination areas, and for the purpose of manufacturer
approval, assessment of design documentation is considered to be sufficient.
The requirements to termination hardware have been rephrased seeking further simplification compared to previous issues.
The Charpy-V impact requirement for cast and forged thimbles has been set to 50 J at -20 C in alignment with the
requirement to cast sockets in DNV-OS-E304.

Requirements to load-bearing yarns for product certification
Previously, there was no certification of load bearing yarns; and the yarns were delivered to the rope manufacturer with test
reports from the yarn manufacturer or an associated laboratory.
The requirements to testing of the load-bearing yarns are found in DNV-OS-E303, Chapter 2 - Section 5 B100, page 22.
In addition to the regular requirements for technical yarn testing, the table also requires stress-rupture or creep testing to
ascertain the performance of the yarn material under sustained, high tension.
The testing requirements to the performance of the yarns under sustained, high tension is founded on the drive to
demonstrate (i.e. certify) the right rope for the designated application. The first step in this process is to ensure that the
performance of the yarns under sustained, high tension satisfies the requirements defined in the mooring design analysis.

Introduction of requirements to approved manufacturers
Previously the general documents such as the manufacturing description, quality procedures etc. had to be submitted as
part of the design review for each delivery. That is no longer necessary. With the new revision of DNV-OS-E303 which was
issued October 2010, approval programs for manufacturers, both fiber-rope segments and load-bearing yarn, were introduced.
The incentives for introduction of the approval programs for manufacturers were:
To reduce the amount of documentation to be submitted for each delivery certification.
Requests from the industry.
Alignment with the requirements for steel-wire ropes, chain cables and accessories.

The fitness-for-service approach is more conspicuous in the approval of manufacturer for the load-bearing yarn material,
compared to the requirements to the product certification in DNV-OS-E303. In the case of materials exhibiting stress rupture,
comprehensive approval testing for time to rupture is required. Currently, the requirements to testing for materials exhibiting
creep failure the testing will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
When it comes to approval of manufacturers for fiber-rope segments this process is largely based on the previous
procedure for certification of Mobile Moorings under DNV-OS-E303, October 2008.
Documentation requirements cover the generic manufacturing specification, quality procedures etc. which will therefore
not have to be submitted for each rope delivery. The documents that have to be submitted for each delivery are project specific
and will, when the manufacturer is approved for production of this type of rope or yarn, form the basis for the certification of
the delivery.
An overview of the main requirements to approved manufacturers for load-bearing yarns and fiber-rope segments is
provided under the below discussion of the certification process.

OTC 21475 3
About the certification documents
In the following, a brief description is given of each of the three fiber-related certification documents.

DNV-OS-E303 Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes
This Offshore Standard covers requirements to product certification of fiber-rope assemblies for offshore mooring. Application
of this standard is conditional that the manufacturers of the fiber-rope segments, load-bearing yarns and termination hardware
hold valid Approvals of Manufacturer Certificates according to Standard for Certification No. 2.9.
Chapter 1 provides a general introduction with overview, definitions, general provisions and references relevant for
Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. Chapter 2 provides the technical provisions of this standard. The two first chapters are given a
general form to make them suitable as independent reference without referencing DNV's requirements to certification, which
are concentrated to Chapter 3.

Objective
The objective of DNV-OS-E303 is to ensure that the design and manufactured quality of fiber-rope assemblies meet the
requirements of designated locations, handling and service scenario for offshore applications, thereby providing the basis for
ensuring reliable fiber-rope moorings.

Scope
DNV-OS-E303 specifies the requirements for the materials, design, manufacture and testing of offshore-mooring fiber
ropes, which are subject to classification or certification. It may also serve as a technical reference document in contractual
matters between user and manufacturer.

Application
This standard is applicable for fiber ropes used as taut mooring lines on offshore units. It may also be used for semi-taut
and catenary mooring systems where only parts of the mooring line consist of fiber-rope segments. Typical applications are
long-term mooring of floating production systems and mooring of mobile offshore units. It also applies to fiber-rope mooring
lines for other offshore installations, such as wave-, wind- or current energy plants.
The standard has been tailored towards a base-case design range of maximum 40% MBS. Qualification for applications
with larger design range can be performed.

Approval Program No. 321 Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes

Objective
The objective of Approval Program No. 321 Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes is to form a basis on which DNV can certify
the rope manufacturers to ensure they have the capability to meet the requirements of DNV-OS-E303 for the product range
covered by the approval.

Scope
This program gives the procedure to be followed to obtain DNV approval for the manufacture of:
Offshore-mooring fiber-rope assemblies in accordance with DNV Offshore Standard, DNV-OS-E303.

As defined in DNV-OS-E303, the fiber-rope assemblies comprise fiber-rope segments with termination hardware, where
the fiber-rope segment covers the fiber-rope free length and the soft eyes.

Range of approval, validity, renewal and extension
Approval is required for each fiber-rope-assembly designation and to a maximum rope linear density. One designation is
defined as fiber-rope assembly having defined construction, load-bearing yarns and termination. The approval only covers
production using approved sub suppliers of load-bearing yarns and termination hardware. The approval is confined to a single
rope factory with designated production equipment.
The approval will be valid for four years; and the manufacturer will be re inspected in this time period. Application for
renewal should be made sooner than three months before the expiry date of the certificate.
Any significant alteration to the approved condition during the period of validity shall be reported to DNV. An existing
approval of manufacturer certificate may be extended with respect to the range of approval.

Approval Program No. 322 Yarns for Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes

Objective
The objective of Approval Program No. 322 Yarns for Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes is to form a basis on which DNV
can certify the manufacturers to ensure they have the capability to meet the requirements of DNV-OS-E303 for the product
range covered by the approval.
4 OTC 21475
Scope
This program gives the procedure to be followed to obtain approval by DNV for the manufacture of:
Load-bearing yarns for offshore-mooring fiber ropes, in accordance with DNV Offshore Standard, DNV-OS-
E303.

This program covers synthetic fiber materials for offshore moorings, such as polyester, polyamide, aramid, LCF/LCAF and
HMPE.
In the context of this program, yarn is defined as finished yarn delivered by the yarn-manufacturing facility, including
conversion for further processing by the rope manufacturer.

Range of approval, validity, renewal and extension
Approval is required for each type designation, i.e. product name (grade) with list of weight (variants), amount of twist and
type and amount of coating.
The manufacturer will be re inspected every four years, which is the validity period of the approval. Application for
renewal should be made sooner than three months before the expiry date of the certificate.
Any significant alteration to the approved condition during the period of validity shall be reported to DNV. An existing
approval of manufacturer certificate may be extended with respect to the range of approval.

Certification process
The main elements in certification of fiber-rope assemblies are approval of manufacturers, design verification and fabrication
survey.

Approval of manufacturers
The main element in the approval of a manufacturer is the Manufacturing Description.

Manufacturing Description
The manufacturing description shall be written to identify and highlight what really matters. It was previously part of the
DNV-OS-E303, but is now removed and included in the approval program for rope manufacturer. The yarn-manufacturer
approval program has the same formulation of the following requirements to the manufacturing description:
It shall provide an overview of the production in general.
It shall completely describe each step in the production process.
For each step in the production process, aspects of particular importance shall be identified; and it shall be
explained how these aspects are taken care of by the techniques of manufacturing and quality control.
The risk and implications of deviations shall be elaborated.

In light of the objective of the approval programs described above, DNV puts major emphasis on the Manufacturing
Description in the processes of approval of manufacturer and product certification. Approval of Manufacturer certificate will
be issued after successful review.
With the manufacturer approvals for load-bearing yarns and fiber-rope segments in place based on solid Manufacturing
Descriptions the rope manufacturer has been qualified for provision of fiber-rope assemblies with certification by DNV
according to Chapter 3 of DNV-OS-E303. The certificate will be published on the internet on the following link:
http://exchange.dnv.com/tari.

Certification of fiber-rope assemblies according to DNV-OS-E303
The certification process is described in detail in Chapter 3 of DNV-OS-E303. A summary of the process is presented in
Figure 1.

Main elements
In addition of the design documentation for the fiber-rope assemblies, two documentation requirements are of particular
importance as the delivery will be certified towards the conditions under which it will be used:
Procedure for handling and installation (Mobile Moorings).
In-service condition assessment scheme (Long-Term Moorings).

These key documents are referenced on the certificates, and compliance shall be ensured by the users of the mooring
system. The handling and installation procedure is typically the responsibility of the rope manufacturer, whereas the in-service
condition assessment scheme is typically the responsibility of the user.



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Certificates that will be issued
Depending on mooring-system category, the certificate for the delivery will be based on the format of either Appendix B
(Long-Term Mooring) or Appendix C (Mobile Mooring). The certificate for the delivery (mobile or long-term) will reference
the following certificates to ensure consistency:
Certificate for termination hardware (Appendix D).
Certificate for load-bearing yarns.
Certificate for approved manufacturer of load-bearing yarns.
Certificate for approved manufacturer of fiber-rope segments.
Certificate for approved manufacturer of termination hardware.

The certificate formats in Appendices B and C are published in DNV-OS-E303 to enable the purchasers and users of
mooring equipment to readily identify appropriate level of certification according to Chapter 3 of DNV-OS-E303 for the
products they are using.
It is the responsibility of the suppliers to request the appropriate level of certification throughout the process.

Future developments
In the years to come there will be more focus on service life extension of fiber ropes for offshore mooring. DNV-OS-E303
already provides reference to the possibility of obtaining new certificates for existing, used rope. For the time being, this
process will be determined on a case-by-case basis without further advice provided in any documents.

DNV-RP-E304 Inspection, Maintenance & Repair of Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes
This recommended practice already exists with the title Damage Assessment of Fibre Ropes for Offshore Mooring; but it
is under revision to include Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) rather than damage assessment only. It will provide the
state of the art knowledge of DNV on steps to take to perform re certification of used ropes according to the provisions of
DNV-OS-E303. Conditions that may warrant re certification are:
The rope design life has expired and the service period of the installation shall be extended.
The mooring system has seen excessive loads compared to the design premise.
The fiber-rope assembly has not been previously certified by DNV.
The rope has been damaged and needs repair.

The main contents of the new issue of DNV-RP-E304 are:
Chapter 1. Inspection Methods: DNV-OS-E304, April 2005.
Chapter 2. Maintenance & Integrity Management: How to establish an in-service condition assessment
scheme using the Safe Service Assessment Method.
Chapter 3. Repair of Fiber-Rope Segments: Advice and guidance concerning qualification
of repair.

The recommended practice DNV-RP-E304 will be a tool for provision of documentation and procedures for re certification of
used rope that has been damaged and needs repair, or rope that has potentially seen excessive tension. It will also enable re
certification of used ropes upon expiry of certificates.

Failure modes
The DNV procedures for certification, including approval of manufacturers, currently contain specific methods pertaining
to materials that exhibit stress rupture. More specific requirements to materials exhibiting creep failure will also be included.
The current emphasis on fatigue design in DNV-OS-E301 Position Mooring will be toned down as this failure mode is
not particularly relevant for fiber ropes.
The emphasis on fatigue loading in steel components exerted by fiber-rope moorings will be strengthened, as this is
currently not sufficiently implemented in design methods.

New issue of DNV-RP-E306 Design, Testing and Analysis of Offshore Mooring Fibre Ropes
This new recommended practice will be issued in order to serve the users with helpful hint and advice about how to
comply with the requirements of DNV-OS-E301 for design of mooring systems, and DNV-OS-E303 for certification of fiber-
rope assemblies and testing. Reference is made to paper OTC 21734 for more details.

6 OTC 21475


Figure 1. The certification process for offshore mooring fiber ropes.
Request for Certification sent to DNV
Pre-production meeting
Submittal of documents for Approval
Production and survey
Issuance of Certificate
Rope Manufacturer
approved?
Yarn Manufacturer
approved?
Thimble
manufacturer
approved?

Apply for
approval?
Approval
granted?
yes
no
no
no
no
no
no
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes












Non-compliance with
DNV-OS-E303
Documents approved. Submittal of
Design Verification report
Production and
testing show
compliance with
DNV-OS-E303?