Development of Hydrocarbon Fire Testing for Offshore Application

The use of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) in offshore oil and gas platforms has been on a rise in the recent decades mainly due to its advantages such as good strength to weight ratio, corrosive resistance and etc. Issues such as strength, durability as well as serviceability are the main issues as well. In the concern of fire testing qualification requirement set by the US Coast Guard, glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) was tested under cellulosic fire which does not portray the real offshore platforms burning condition (ASTM E-119). It should instead be tested with hydrocarbon fire which simulates a higher spreading rate and a higher temperature compared to that of cellulosic fire.