Analytical methodologies for buried pipeline design in geohazard areas

Abstract

In geohazard areas, buried pipelines are subjected to permanent ground deformations, which constitute major threats for their structural safety. Geohazards include seismic fault movement, liquefaction-induced lateral spreading and slope instability, and the corresponding deformations induce severe strains in the pipeline. Calculation of these strains is necessary for assessing pipeline integrity. In the present paper, an analytical methodology is presented and compared with existing analytical and numerical methodologies for stress analysis of buried pipelines. The proposed methodology is also compared with full-scale available experimental results and offers significant intuition on the behavior of buried pipelines subjected to permanent ground deformations. Using the proposed analytical methodology, one may predict the strains developed in the pipeline wall quite efficiently and with good accuracy. Copyright © 2016 by ASME.