Uplift Failure Mechanisms of Pipes Buried in Dense Sand
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 18, Issue 8
Abstract
This study conducted finite-element (FE) modeling of uplift resistance from dense backfill sand. The prepeak hardening, postpeak softening, density, and confining-pressure-dependent soil behavior were implemented in FE analysis to simulate the progressive development of shear bands. The location of the shear bands was identified from soil failure mechanisms for a range of burial depths. For shallow buried pipelines, the inclination of the slip planes to the vertical was found to be approximately equal to the maximum dilation angle when the peak uplift resistance was mobilized and then decreased with an upward movement, resulting in a postpeak reduction of uplift resistance. For deeper conditions, in addition to two inclined slip planes, logarithmic spiral-type shear bands formed above the pipe. Based on mobilized shear strength parameters and inclination of slip planes, a method to calculate the peak and postpeak uplift resistances, using an equivalent angle of internal friction, is presented.
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Acknowledgments
The work presented in this article was supported by the Research and Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Chevron Canada Limited, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 18 • Issue 8 • August 2018
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© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 16, 2017
Accepted: Mar 1, 2018
Published online: May 31, 2018
Published in print: Aug 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Oct 31, 2018
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