Numerical Analysis of Buried Steel Pipelines

Abstract

Various alternative numerical analysis methods that are used to simulate the response of buried steel pipelines subjected to large imposed displacements triggered by seismic fault activation are presented. Due to the grave financial, social and environmental consequences of a potential pipeline leakage, damage or failure is a problem deserving special attention. Advanced nonlinear numerical simulations are the only way to handle with sufficient accuracy the complexity of the physical problem associated with the surrounding soil and the relevant pipeline-soil interaction. During preliminary design, however, reliable numerical models are required that demand minimum computational effort. In this paper alternative simulations of the problem making use of beam-type finite elements are presented and compared in terms of accuracy and computational cost. Comparisons are carried out regarding the types of finite elements, whether geometric nonlinearity is included or not.