A novel approach for time-dependent axial soil resistance in the analysis of subsea pipelines. (September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carneiro, D.; White, D.J.; Danziger, F.A.B.; Ellwanger, G.B.
• Is Part Of: Computers and geotechnics. Volume 69(2015)
• Page Start: 641
• Page End: 651
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Subjects: Offshore pipelines -- Pipe–soil interaction -- Consolidation -- Finite-element modelling -- Cyclic loading -- Pipeline walking; Engineering geology -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Soil mechanics -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Rock mechanics -- Data processing -- Periodicals; 624.1510285
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compgeo.2015.07.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-352X

Abstract

Abstract: A novel approach for modelling axial pipe–soil interaction, consisting of bespoke finite elements, is proposed. The purpose is to have a model that represents a two-dimensional slice of soil perpendicular to the pipe which is computationally cheap enough to be incorporated in global analysis of subsea pipelines, whilst capable of capturing detailed time-dependent soil response, which involves partial drainage and cyclic plasticity. This is achieved by handling the circumferential dimension analytically, reducing the behaviour of the two-dimensional soil slice to a one-dimensional case. Coupled consolidation analysis along a vertical sequence of one-dimensional elements beneath each pipeline node, tailored to represent the axial–vertical (or -radial) plane across the seabed semi-space, is supplemented by an analytical solution for the circumferential drainage. The paper presents the model development, its implementation through symbolic programming and validation against previously published continuum finite element analysis results.