Comparative Analysis by Numerical Simulation on Natural Gas Pipelines in Different Positions of Landslide

The sliding impact on pipeline across a landslide was analyzed by numerical simulation. Two cases of landslide along the Sichuan to East gas pipeline were simulated with pipelines in the front or in the rear of the landslides, respectively. The mechanics numerical simulation model was established by ANSYS finite element analysis software, and the pipeline stress and strain were simulated by using the FLAC^3D software. Comparative analysis was carried out to the critical stress and displacement of pipeline under the loading of a landslide in both situations. Results show that when the pipes go across the landslide, the maximum deformation appears in the middle part of the pipe and the maximum stress appears at its two ends. The two ends of the pipeline are prone to damage. Yield damage is more likely to occur in the pipe crossing the front of a landslide, and the risk of damage to the pipe is relatively lower when the pipeline is buried across the rear of a landslide.