Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
4. Alternatively, an owner could nominate a CVA for a phase of a project
if the proposed CVA was not already on the approved list. USGS
reviewed the credentials of the nominee in the same manner as those
of a CVA requesting preapproval. If the nominee was deemed quali-
fied, approval as the CVA was granted for the requested project, and
the nominee was added to the preapproved list.
5. The approved CVA reviewed the appropriate documentation or field
activities and submitted interim reports as outlined in the CVA pro-
posed scope of work as well as a final report to USGS.
6. USGS maintained responsibility for assessing the qualifications of a
CVA, approving a CVA for a given project, and reviewing both the
facility owner's documentation and the CVA reports. It made the final
determination as to the acceptability of the proposed facility.
The NRC study recommended that all future facilities be included
within the CVA program. When it was implemented, however, the pro-
gram excluded routine facilities from the CVA scope and included only
•
Platforms with natural periods greater than 3 seconds,
•
Platforms installed in water depths exceeding 400 ft,
•
Platforms installed in areas of unstable bottom conditions,
•
Platforms having configurations and designs that have not previously
been used or proven for use in the area, and
•
Platforms installed in seismically active areas.
The first platforms to undergo the full CVA program addressing
design, fabrication, and installation were installed off the coast of Cal-
ifornia in 1981, a seismically active area. In developing the details of the
CVA program within USGS, the Shell Cognac platform, installed in
1978, was used as a test case to help develop the CVA protocols and
procedures.
After implementation of the program, floating facilities were consid-
ered for U.S. offshore waters, and a new item was added to the list of those
required to use a CVA: all new floating platforms.
The CVA program could be viewed as a supplement to the government
staff's ability to review platform installation permits, witness on-site fab-
rication and installation, and verify compliance with design requirements
and fabrication specifications.
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