Analysis of a buried pipeline subjected to fault displacement: A DEM and FEM study

Buried pipelines are commonly used to transport oil, water, sewage, and natural gas and are referred as lifeline systems. The 3D discrete element method (DEM) analysis was carried out to examine the response of buried pipeline owing to fault movement. Approximately 1.8 million spherical particles, which were considered to represent soil and a hollow circular pipe, were placed at a shallow depth in the proposed numerical model. The DEM simulation was performed for the sedimentation of soil particles, and fault displacements were subsequently assigned to the model. The force-displacement relation between pipes and particles is important in the modeling and design of buried pipes in the vicinity of faults. The present study discusses the force-displacement relation between pipes and particles in the axial and vertical directions for fault movement. This relation reveals the strain softening behavior of particles near the fault crossing point. The interaction between soil particles and pipe elements can be understood from this numerical simulation. Particles push the pipes and have a greater effect near the rupture point Finally, a parametric study was performed using different pipe properties, and the responses were analyzed. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.