The American Bureau of ShippingEvaluates Offshore Platforms with Abaqus FEA

Realistic Simulation Enables ABS to Reduce Physical Testing in the Certification of Offshore Structures

Paris, France, and Providence, R.I., USA, October 7, 2008 – Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced that the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the world's leading offshore classification society, has selected the analysis capability of Abaqus finite element analysis (FEA) software from SIMULIA to assist in the evaluation of the structural strength of offshore drilling and production units.

Dedicated to promoting the security of life, property and the marine environment, ABS is at the forefront of research and technological innovations in setting standards for the international marine and offshore industry. To further advance its activities, ABS has selected Abaqus Unified FEA solutions from SIMULIA to evaluate the operational performance of offshore jack-up structures.

“Full-scale testing of offshore jack-up rigs is cost and time prohibitive,” stated Jer-Fang Wu, head of the ABS Singapore Offshore Technology Center. “In the energy sector, there is a continuing trend towards larger, more complex projects that demand shorter, more intense design cycles. The realistic simulation capabilities of Abaqus provide a reliable and economical way to evaluate structural standards of engineering designs.”

“The accuracy of structural analysis in order to engineer the safe operation of offshore units is imperative,” states Ken Short, VP Strategy and Marketing, SIMULIA, Dassault Systèmes.  “The selection of Abaqus by ABS validates our approach to the development and quality assurance of mission-critical tools for the certification of these structures dedicated to economical and environmentally safe energy exploration.”

ABS selected Abaqus for its powerful nonlinear analysis solution technology, its robust contact formulations and its unique simulation capabilities.  Utilizing the soil and concrete material models available in Abaqus, ABS can more easily evaluate the behavior of jack-up rig designs operating in harsh, offshore environments.