Abstract
Common structural rule (CSR) doesn' t provide any other specific regulations for permanent means of access (PMA) platform structure in a cargo oil tank. The PMA platform is recommended to comply with scantling requirement of local support member. However, it leads to too conservative scantlings compared with actual loads imposed on the platform. This paper proposes a strength assessment procedure for the PMA structure based on a nonlinear ultimate strength. The ultimate strength is evaluated in a sufficiently conservative way. The first linear buckling mode is used as an initial imperfection shape and its magnitude is determined using the definitions of DNV PULS. Since the same imperfection mode as the failure mode of the ultimate limit state is assumed, it can accelerate the failure. Au ultimate strength capacity curve obtained from a series of nonlinear FE analysis is compared with actual stresses calculated by CSR cargo hold analysis.