Numerical Analysis of Upheaval Buckling of Pipeline on Uneven Seabed Using Finite Element Method

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Maritime Engineering Department, MSc in Marine Structures Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Maritime Engineering Department, Associate Professor, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

3 Civil Engineering Department, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

4 Maritime Engineering Department, MSc in Coasts & Ports Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

When subsea pipelines are laid down on the uneven seabed or buried in the seafloor, they may experience upheaval buckling. This condition, which is associated with high temperature and high pressure (HT/HP) of oil in the pipeline leads to large displacement. Finally, bending moment and effective axial force are produced. This way, the cross section of the pipeline may experience failure. In this research, a pipeline on the seabed is simulated employing ABAQUS software, and various influential factors such as the friction coefficient of seabed soil, external and internal hydrostatic pressure and temperature changes in the process of creating upheaval buckling are assessed. The results show that the friction coefficient of soil have much more effect than the other parameters. Furthermore, the pipeline would be unstable when the efficacious axial force increases. 

Keywords