Exploring the Design Space Governing the Lateral Buckle Capacity of Subsea Pipelines

摘要

Three analytical methods are used to evaluate the lateral buckle capacity of perfectly straight pipelines supported by a seafloor foundation: the beam-on-elastic-foundation method, the Kerr thermal buckling method, and the Rayleigh-Ritz method. These analytical methods and a numerical finite element method including the pipeline out-of-straightness characteristics are used to investigate the design space for pipeline buckling through deterministic and Monte Carlo investigations of a typical condition. A regression model is fitted to finite element results and then used to predict responses for other general conditions. Characteristics of observed pipeline out-of-straightness are described and their influence on its buckle capacity is examined. Bounds to the expected pipeline buckle capacity may be established using the four analysis methods. (C) 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.