Behaviour of buried continuous pipelines crossing strike-slip faults: Experimental and numerical study

The paper examines the behaviour of buried continuous pipelines crossing strike-slip faults using experimental and numerical modelling. A newly developed experiment setup is presented along with the derivation of relevant scaling laws and non-dimensional terms governing global response of continuous pipelines to strike-slip faulting. Four model tests are carried out to understand the performance of the pipelines and the results are presented through the derived non-dimensional framework. Three-dimensional (3D) Finite Element (FE) model is also undertaken to simulate buried continuous pipelines crossing strike-slip faults and is calibrated against the model test results and a field case record for validation and verification. A parametric study is also carried out to better understand the parameters influencing the response of buried continuous pipelines to strike-slip faults and to also investigate the effects of pipe end conditions on their behaviour. API 5 L X70 steel pipe with 490 MPa of yield strength was used in the numerical parametric study. Two different scenarios based on fault crossing angle of the pipe (beta) were considered in the parametric study: (a) pipelines in tension and bending; (b) pipelines in compression and bending. The experimental and numerical results show that the longitudinal pipe strains under strike-slip faulting are strongly dependent on six parameters: (a) normalized fault displacements (represented by delta/D where delta is the fault displacement and D is the pipe diameter which is also an indication of soil strain in the mobilised zone); (b) ratio of pipe diameter to wall thickness (D/t); (c) fault crossing angle of the pipe (beta); (d) relative soil-pipe stiffness (kD4/EI); (e) ratio of burial depth to pipe diameter (H/D) and (f) pipe end conditions. Finally, practical implications of the study are discussed.