A general model for the behaviour of offshore pipelines on sand

摘要

Experimental observations from a number of centrifuge tests using calcareous sand and silica sand are presented. The tests were conducted mainly on untrenched pipelines, with control of vertical and lateral loads and measurement of the correspondingdisplacements. In parallel, a theoretical model has been developed on the basis of plasticity theory to simulate the response of a pipeline shallowly embedded in sandy soil under self-weight or by trenching. This model requires a total of twelve parameters to simulate pipeline response under various loading conditions. The model reproduces the key features of the measured load-displacement response of trenched and untrenched model pipelines in calcareous sand and silica sand under various loading conditions.