Mechanical behavior of buried steel pipes crossing active strike-slip faults

The present paper addresses the mechanical behavior of buried steel pipes crossing active strike-slip tectonic faults. The pipeline is assumed to cross the vertical fault plane at angles ranging between zero and 45 degrees. The fault moves in the horizontal direction, causing significant plastic deformation in the pipeline. The investigation is based on numerical simulation of the nonlinear response of the soil-pipeline system through finite elements, accounting for large strains and displacements, inelastic material behavior of the pipeline and the surrounding soil, as well as contact and friction on the soil-pipe interface. Steel pipes with D/t ratio and material grade typical for oil and gas pipelines are considered. The analysis is conducted through an incremental application of fault displacement. Appropriate performance criteria of the steel pipeline are defined and monitored throughout the analysis. The effects of various soil and line pipe parameters on the mechanical response of the pipeline are examined. The numerical results determine the fault displacement at which the specified performance criteria are reached, and are presented in diagram form, with respect to the crossing angle. The effects of internal pressure on pipeline performance are also investigated. In an attempt to explain the structural behavior of the pipeline with respect to local buckling, a simplified analytical model is also developed that illustrates the counteracting effects of pipeline bending and axial stretching for different crossing angles. The results from the present study can be used for the development of performance-based design methodologies for buried steel pipelines. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.