Effect of Surface Heave on Response of Partially Embedded Pipelines on Clay

The as-laid embedment of an on-bottom pipeline strongly influences the resulting thermal insulation, and the resistance to subsequent axial and lateral movement of the pipeline. Reliable assessment of these parameters is essential for the design of offshore pipelines. Static vertical penetration of a pipe into a soft clay seabed—which can be modeled as an undrained process—causes heave of soil on each side of the pipeline. The heaved soil contributes to the vertical penetration resistance and the horizontal capacity. This paper describes a series of large deformation finite-element analyses of pipe penetration, supported by a simple analytical assessment of the heave process. The conventional bearing capacity approach to the analysis of pipe penetration is reviewed, and modifications for the effects of soil weight and heave are presented. It is shown that in soft soil conditions—which are typical for deep water—the soil self-weight contributes a significant portion of the vertical penetration resistance and horizontal capacity. If heave is neglected, the soil weight leads to a vertical force due to buoyancy, based on Archimedes’ principle. When heave is considered, the soil weight contributes an additional component of vertical load, exceeding simple buoyancy, due to the distorted geometry of the soil surface. Archimedes’ principle does not apply. The finite-element analyses, benchmarked against rigorous plasticity solutions, are used to calibrate simple expressions for predicting static vertical pipe penetration, and the resulting horizontal capacity. These simple solutions allow the conventional bearing capacity approach to be used in a manner which correctly accounts for the effects of soil self-weight and heave. An approximate solution for predicting the “local” pipe embedment—relative to the raised soil level immediately adjacent to the pipe—is derived. The local embedment significantly exceeds the nominal embedment relative to the original soil surface. This effect counteracts the tendency for heave to reduce the embedment by raising the penetration resistance.