The Effect of Crusts on the Undrained Vertical Penetration Resistance of Pipelines
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 10
Abstract
Accurate prediction of the embedment depth of surface-laid pipelines is fundamental to determine in-service performance, which is closely related to the resistance the seabed provides during pipe-lay. The presence of a surficial crust overlying normally consolidated seabeds increases difficulties in accurately assessing the variation in penetration resistance with depth. In an attempt to address these difficulties, this paper presents results from a series of large-deformation finite-element analyses of a pipeline vertically penetrating crusty seabeds under undrained conditions. A detailed parametric study was carried out to examine the effects of crust strength geometry (strength ratio, crust thickness, and strength gradient) and softening properties (soil sensitivity and ductility) on the penetration response and the evolution of soil flow mechanisms. A surficial crust leads to higher penetration resistance relative to a normally consolidated seabed without a crust. The numerical analyses revealed the transition in failure mechanism as the pipe penetrates through the crust into the underlying clay. Separate mechanisms identified at various transition points allowed for a mechanism-based empirical approach that produces a depth profile of penetration resistance for crusts of varying strength characteristics and thicknesses. The accuracy of this simplified calculation method typically is within 10% of the numerical results, and is suitable for use in engineering practice providing an evidence-based approach for the calculation of pipeline penetration in seabeds with surficial crusts.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Australia Research Council Discovery Programme (Grant no. DP200103468). The second author acknowledges the support of Fugro, provided via the Fugro Chair in Geotechnics at UWA.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150 • Issue 10 • October 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 2, 2023
Accepted: Apr 24, 2024
Published online: Jul 27, 2024
Published in print: Oct 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 27, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Analysis (by type)
- Bodies of water (by type)
- Coasts, oceans, ports, and waterways engineering
- Design (by type)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Field tests
- Finite element method
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Geotechnical investigation
- Infrastructure
- Load and resistance factor design
- Load factors
- Methodology (by type)
- Numerical analysis
- Numerical methods
- Ocean engineering
- Penetration tests
- Pipeline systems
- Pipelines
- Sea floor
- Seas and oceans
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil strength
- Structural design
- Structural engineering
- Tests (by type)
- Water and water resources
- Water management
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