Analytic Model for the Evaluation of Inclined Piling in Permafrost

摘要

There are approximately 78,000 Vertical Support Members (VSM) on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). A small fraction of VSM have tilted over time, primarily as a result of frost heave. Corrective maintenance to address this situation, which can include VSM replacement, is very expensive. As an alternative, a model was developed to determine if, and when, VSM integrity would be compromised beyond acceptable factors of safety to the point where the pipeline foundation would be jeopardized. The model was finite element based, using non-linear soil elements to simulate the subsurface resistance. This paper reports on the model and a summary of the results.