This paper describes a pipe-soil interaction model applicable for pipelines lying on, or partially buried in, clay soils and subjected to hydrodynamic forces from waves and/or currents. Data has been collected from a number of large and small scale laboratory tests and from numerical analysis and is used to develop models based on non-dimensional groups that govern the problem. Separate models describe the initial penetration for a pipeline of a certain weight placed on the clay soil, for the development of penetration into the soil when the pipeline is subjected to oscillatory forcing or displacements, and for the soil resistance for a pipe with a given penetration into the soil. The data collected covers a large range of parameters and the models are valid at least in the range of soil shear strength 0.8 - 70 kPa, pipe diameters of 0.1 - 1.0 m and specific pipe weights of 1.1 -3.0. The models have been implemented in a time-domain FE program modelling a pipeline on the seabed subjected to hydrodynamic forces from waves and currents. Predicted pipe response, in terms of penetration development and horizontal displacement, is compared with that obtained in full scale laboratory tests where pipe sections were subjected to simulated hydrodynamic force from irregular waves and current. The predictions are found to be satisfactory and validate the models for use in pipeline stability analysis.
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