Pipeline Strain Demand and Capacity under Geotechnical Threats

Pipelines are often subjected to longitudinal stresses due to ground movements such as moving slopes and discontinuous permafrost areas. In these cases, numerical models are used to calculate strain demand which is then compared to tensile and compressive strain capacities (TSC and CSC) which are functions of the pipeline and girth weld material properties. In terms of strain demand, we have shown that current numerical models are inappropriate as they neglect the Bourdon effectthe tendency of pressurized pipes to straightenat the location of bends and elbows. In terms of capacity, our previous work has evaluated the efficacy of XFEM to predict the TSC for pipelines. We have also produced CSC equations for pipelines under the combined effect of axial forces and bending moments. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Samer Adeeb

Student:

Nahid Elyasi

Partner:

Enbridge Employee Services Canada Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Oil and gas

University:

Program: