INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF MINING SUBSIDENCE ON BURIED PIPELINE USING FINITE ELEMENT MODELING

To investigate the effects of mining subsidence on buried pipeline, a computer program to predict three-dimensional ground movement is developed based on Probability Function Integration Method and pressurized pipeline subject to ground subsidence is modeled by using finite element method. Pipeline deformation, stress, strain and the influence of pipeline route are analyzed. The results show that bending combined with compression and twisting results in high stress and strain level for pipeline running athwart subsidence area, while for pipeline parallel to strike or oblique direction of mining gob, obvious twisting is not found and main deformation of pipeline is bending combined with tension which results in lower stress and strain than the former. It is recommended for pipeline design or route selection in mining area that pipeline should be laid parallel to the strike or oblique direction of mining gob in order to avoid complicated deformation.