Three-Dimensional Finite-Element Modeling of Polyethylene Pipes in Dense Sand Subjected to a Lateral Force
Publication: Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 15, Issue 3
Abstract
Buried medium-density polyethylene pipes are conveniently used in gas distribution systems, particularly in areas subjected to ground movements, due to their flexible property to accommodate large deformation. The pipelines experiencing large ground movements require assessments for the fitness-for-services. Conventionally, the beam-on-spring idealization is used to evaluate pipelines exposed to ground movements. However, it is challenging for the beam-on-spring idealization to identify the spring parameters for representing soil–pipe interaction appropriately, which may vary from problem to problem. In the current study, three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) modeling was employed to understand soil–pipe interaction near the connection of a branch to a main pipe subjected to lateral movement. The FE model was developed through validation with full-scale test results. The study revealed that the conventional elastic–perfectly plastic model with a stress-dependent modulus of elasticity for soil could be reasonably used to simulate pipe–soil interaction observed during the tests. The FE analysis effectively simulated the mechanisms observed during the tests. Similar to the observations in the tests, the analysis calculated a lower pulling force yet higher strains for shallow buried pipes than for deeply buried pipes, confirming lower resistance to bending of the shallow buried pipes. The calculated contact pressures were nonuniform along the pipe length, indicating nonuniform axial and lateral soil resistances to the pipe. Thus, the spring forces recommended in the design guidelines should be revisited to account for the variation of contact pressure to model the pipe behavior using the conventional beam-on-spring analysis.
Practical Applications
The outcomes of this research would apply to the integrity assessment of MDPE pipes in areas prone to ground movements. Pipes in a distribution network can experience additional stresses/strains due to ground movements, which should be evaluated for fitness-for-service assessment. This paper presents an assessment of pipe wall strains near a connection of a network branch. The understanding from this research would be useful for assessing pipes in the field under a similar ground movement scenario.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
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
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial and/or in-kind support provided by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada through its Discovery and Collaborative Research and Development Grant programs, FortisBC Energy Inc., and WSP Canada Inc. The pipe samples used in this research were provided by FortisBC Energy Inc., which uses the pipes in its gas distribution system.
References
ALA (American Lifelines Alliance). 2005. Guidelines for the design of buried steel pipe. Washington, DC: Federal Emergency Management Agency and American Society of Civil Engineers.
Almahakeri, M., A. Fam, and I. D. Moore. 2014. “Experimental investigation of longitudinal bending of buried steel pipes pulled through dense sand.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. 5 (2): 04013014. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000141.
Almahakeri, M., I. D. Moore, and A. Fam. 2016. “Numerical study of longitudinal bending in buried GFRP pipes subjected to lateral earth movements.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. 8 (1): 04016012. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000237.
Almahakeri, M., I. D. Moore, and A. Fam. 2019. “Numerical techniques for design calculations of longitudinal bending in buried steel pipes subjected to lateral Earth movements.” Royal Soc. Open Sci. 6 (7): 181550. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.181550.
Anderson, C., D. Wijewickreme, C. Ventura, and A. Mitchell. 2004. “Full-scale laboratory testing of buried polyethylene gas distribution pipelines subject to lateral ground displacements.” In Proc., 13th World Conf. on Earthquake Engineering, 33–37. Vancouver, BC, Canada: Canadian Association of Earthquake Engineering.
Ansari, Y., G. Kouretzis, and S. W. Sloan. 2018. “Development of a prototype for modeling soil–pipe interaction and its application for predicting uplift resistance to buried pipe movements in sand.” Can. Geotech. J. 55 (10): 1451–1474. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2017-0559.
Anzum, S., A. Reza, and A. S. Dhar. 2022. “Finite element modeling of polyethylene pipe in dense sand subjected to lateral force.” In Proc., 75th Canadian Geotechnical Conf., GeoCalgary 2022. Surrey, BC, Canada: Canadian Geotechnical Society.
Audibert, J. M. E., and K. J. Nyman. 1978. “Soil restraint against horizontal motion of pipes.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. Geomech. 15 (2): A29. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(78)91731-X.
AWWA (American Water Works Association). 1988a. Standard for fibreglass pressure pipe. C950-88. Denver: AWWA.
AWWA (American Water Works Association). 1988b. Standard for PVC water transmission pipe (nominal diameters 14 in. through 36 in.). C905-88. Denver: AWWA.
Barrett, J., and R. Phillips. 2020. “Formulation of 3D soil springs for pipe stress analyses.” In Proc., 13th Int. Pipeline Conf., IPC2020. New York: ASME.
Bolton, M. D. 1986. “The strength and dilatancy of sands.” Géotechnique 36 (1): 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1986.36.1.65.
Brachman, R. W. I. 1999. “Structural performance of leachate collection pipes.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Western Ontario.
Chakraborty, T., and R. Salgado. 2010. “Dilatancy and shear strength of sand at low confining pressures.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 136 (3): 527–532. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000237.
Cheong, T. P., K. Soga, and D. J. Robert. 2011. “3D FE analyses of buried pipeline with elbows subjected to lateral loading.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 137 (10): 939–948. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000508.
CSA (Canadian Standards Association). 1987. Plastic drain and sewer pipe and pipe fittings. 4th ed. Rexdale, ONT: CSA.
Daiyan, N., S. Kenny, R. Phillips, and R. Popescu. 2011. “Investigating pipeline–soil interaction under axial–lateral relative movements in sand.” Can. Geotech. J. 48 (11): 1683–1695. https://doi.org/10.1139/t11-061.
Das, B. M., and G. R. Seeley. 1975. “Load–displacement relationship for vertical anchor plates.” J. Geotech. Eng. Div. 101 (7): 711–715.
Das, S., and A. S. Dhar. 2021. “Nonlinear time-dependent mechanical behavior of medium-density polyethylene pipe material.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 33 (5): 04021068. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0003695.
Dassault Systems. 2019. ABAQUS/CAE user’s guide. Providence, RI: Dassault Systemes Simulia.
Dhar, A. S., and I. D. Moore. 2001. “Liner buckling in profiled polyethylene pipes.” Geosynth. Int. 8 (4): 303–326. https://doi.org/10.1680/gein.8.0197.
Guo, P. J., and D. F. E. Stolle. 2005. “Lateral pipe–soil interaction in sand with reference to scale effect.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 131 (3): 338–349. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2005)131:3(338).
Ha, D., T. H. Abdoun, M. J. O’Rourke, M. D. Symans, T. D. O’Rourke, M. C. Palmer, and H. E. Stewart. 2008. “Buried high-density polyethylene pipelines subjected to normal and strike-slip faulting—A centrifuge investigation.” Can. Geotech. J. 45 (12): 1733–1742. https://doi.org/10.1139/T08-089.
Hansen, J. B. 1961. The ultimate resistance of rigid piles against transversal forces. Copenhagen, Denmark: Danish Geotechnical Institute.
Hetényi, M. 1946. Beams on elastic foundation: Theory with applications in the fields of civil and mechanical engineering. Ann Arbor, MI: Univ. of Michigan Press.
Hsu, T. W. 1993. “Rate effect on lateral soil restraint of pipelines.” Soils Found. 33 (4): 159–169. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf1972.33.4_159.
Jalali, H. H., F. R. Rofooei, N. K. A. Attari, and M. Samadian. 2016. “Experimental and finite element study of the reverse faulting effects on buried continuous steel gas pipelines.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng. 86 (Jul): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2016.04.006.
Janbu, N. 1963. “Soil compressibility as determined by oedometer and triaxial tests.” In Vol. 1 of Proc., European Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 19–25. Essen, Germany: German Society for Earthworks and Foundations.
Jung, J. K., T. D. O’Rourke, and N. A. Olson. 2013. “Lateral soil-pipe interaction in dry and partially saturated sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 139 (12): 2028–2036. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000960.
Konuk, I., R. Phillips, S. Hurley, and M. J. Paulin. 1999. “Preliminary ovalisation of buried pipeline subjected to lateral loading.” In Proc., Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering (OMAE). New York: ASME.
Kostyukov, V. D. 1967. “Determination of lateral earth pressure on retaining walls with consideration of dispersion of the values of the physicomechanical characteristics of backfill.” Hydrotech. Const. 1 (9): 840–841. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02378289.
Kulhawy, F. H., and P. W. Mayne. 1990. Manual on estimating soil properties for foundation design. Palo Alto, CA: Electric Power Research Institute.
Lee, L. L., and H. B. Seed. 1967. “Drained strength characteristics of sands.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 93 (6): 117–141. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSFEAQ.0001048.
Lings, M. L., and M. S. Dietz. 2004. “An improved direct shear apparatus for sand.” Géotechnique 54 (4): 245–256. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2004.54.4.245.
Mahdavi, H., S. Kenny, R. Phillips, and R. Popescu. 2008. “Influence of geotechnical loads on local buckling behavior of buried pipelines.” In Vol. 3 of Proc., Int. Pipeline Conf. (IPC), 543–551. New York: ASME.
Mahdavi, H., S. Kenny, R. Phillips, and R. Popescu. 2013. “Significance of geotechnical loads on local buckling response of buried pipelines with respect to conventional practice.” Can. Geotech. J. 50 (1): 68–80. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2011-0423.
Murray, E. J., and J. D. Geddes. 1989. “Resistance of passive inclined anchors in cohesionless medium.” Géotechnique 39 (3): 417–431. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1989.39.3.417.
Neely, W. J., J. C. Stuart, and J. Graham. 1973. “Failure loads of vertical anchor plates in sand.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 99 (9): 669–685. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSFEAQ.0001925.
Ni, P., S. Mangalathu, and Y. Yi. 2018. “Fragility analysis of continuous pipelines subjected to transverse permanent ground deformation.” Soils Found. 58 (6): 1400–1413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2018.08.002.
Ovesen, N. K. 1964. “Anchor slabs, calculation methods and model tests.” Bulletin 16: 39.
Ovesen, N. K., and H. Strømann. 1972. “Design method for vertical anchor slabs in sand.” In Performance of earth and earth-supported structures, 1481. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Paulin, M. J., R. Phillips, J. I. Clark, A. Trigg, and I. Konuk. 1998. “A full-scale investigation into pipeline/soil interaction.” In Vol. 40238 of Proc., Int. Pipeline Conf., 779–787. New York: American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Popescu, R., P. Guo, and A. Nobahar. 2001. 3D finite element analysis of pipe/soil interaction. Calgary, AB, Canada: Geological Survey of Canada, Chevron Corp and Petro Canada.
PRCI (Pipeline Research Council International). 2017. Pipeline seismic design and assessment guideline. Catalogue No. PR-268-134501-R01. Chantilly, VA: PRCI.
Reza, A., and A. S. Dhar. 2021. “Axial pullout behavior of buried medium-density polyethylene gas distribution pipes.” Int. J. Geomech. 21 (7): 04021120. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002101.
Robert, D. J., A. Britto, and S. Setunge. 2020. “Efficient approach to simulate soil–pipeline interaction.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. 11 (1): 04019046. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000412.
Robert, D. J., P. Rajeev, J. Kodikara, and B. Rajani. 2016. “Equation to predict maximum pipe stress incorporating internal and external loadings on buried pipes.” Can. Geotech. J. 53 (8): 1315–1331. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2015-0500.
Robert, D. J., and N. I. Thusyanthan. 2015. “Numerical and experimental study of uplift mobilization of buried pipelines in sands.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. 6 (1): 04014009. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000179.
Rofooei, F. R., N. K. A. Attari, and H. Hojat Jalali. 2018. “New method of modeling the behavior of buried steel distribution pipes subjected to reverse faulting.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. 9 (1): 04017029. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000296.
Roy, K., B. Hawlader, S. Kenny, and I. Moore. 2016. “Finite element modeling of lateral pipeline–soil interactions in dense sand.” Can. Geotech. J. 53 (3): 490–504. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2015-0171.
Roy, K., B. Hawlader, S. Kenny, and I. Moore. 2018. “Upward pipe–soil interaction for shallowly buried pipelines in dense sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 144 (11): 04018078. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001957.
Sadowski, A. J., and J. M. Rotter. 2013. “Solid or shell finite elements to model thick cylindrical tubes and shells under global bending.” Int. J. Mech. Sci. 74 (Sep): 143–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2013.05.008.
Saha, R. C., A. S. Dhar, and B. C. Hawlader. 2019. “Shear strength assessment of a well-graded clean sand.” In Proc., 72nd Canadian Geotechnical Conf., Geo St. John’s 2019. Surrey, BC, Canada: Canadian Geotechnical Society.
Sarvanis, G. C., and S. A. Karamanos. 2017. “Analytical model for the strain analysis of continuous buried pipelines in geohazard areas.” Eng. Struct. 152 (Dec): 57–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.08.060.
Sinha, T. 2021. “Lateral ground movement effects near connection of medium density polyethylene gas distribution pipes.” M.Eng. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland.
Sinha, T., and A. S. Dhar. 2023a. “Beam-on-spring modeling of buried MDPE pipes in sand subjected to lateral loads a at pipe junction.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. 3 (3): 100125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpse.2023.100125.
Sinha, T., and A. S. Dhar. 2023b. “Lateral ground movement effects near a joint of MDPE gas distribution pipes.” Can. Geotech. J. 60 (9): 1415–1428.
Suleiman, M. T., and B. J. Coree. 2004. “Constitutive model for high density polyethylene material: Systematic approach.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 16 (6): 511–515. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2004)16:6(511).
Trautmann, C. H. 1983. “Behavior of pipe in dry sand under lateral and uplift loading.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Cornell Univ.
Trautmann, C. H., and T. D. O’Rourke. 1985. “Lateral force displacement response of buried pipe.” J. Geotech. Eng. 111 (9): 1077–1092. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1985)111:9(1077).
Wijewickreme, D., H. Karimian, and D. Honegger. 2009. “Response of buried steel pipelines subjected to relative axial soil movement.” Can. Geotech. J. 46 (7): 735–752. https://doi.org/10.1139/T09-019.
Wijewickreme, D., M. Monroy, D. G. Honegger, and D. J. Nyman. 2017. “Soil restraints on buried pipelines subjected to reverse-fault displacement.” Can. Geotech. J. 54 (10): 1472–1481. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2016-0564.
Xie, X., M. D. Symans, M. J. O’Rourke, T. H. Abdoun, T. D. O’Rourke, M. C. Palmer, and H. E. Stewart. 2013. “Numerical modeling of buried HDPE pipelines subjected to normal faulting: A case study.” Earthquake Spect. 29 (2): 609–632. https://doi.org/10.1193/1.4000137.
Yimsiri, S., K. Soga, K. Yoshizaki, G. Dasari, and T. D. O’Rourke. 2004. “Lateral and upward soil–pipeline interactions in sand for deep embedment conditions.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 130 (8): 830–842. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2004)130:8(830).
Zhang, C. 1996. “Nonlinear mechanical response of high-density polyethylene in gravity flow pipes.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Western Ontario.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 15 • Issue 3 • August 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 2, 2023
Accepted: Jan 5, 2024
Published online: Mar 25, 2024
Published in print: Aug 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Aug 25, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Buried pipes
- Energy infrastructure
- Engineering fundamentals
- Finite element method
- Gas pipelines
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Geotechnical investigation
- Ground motion
- Infrastructure
- Lifeline systems
- Methodology (by type)
- Models (by type)
- Numerical methods
- Pipeline systems
- Pipes
- Pressure pipes
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil-pipe interaction
- Three-dimensional models
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.