Deep subsea pipelines are often laid on the seabed surface and may experience partial vertical embedment due to self-weight. Pipelines being operated in such scenarios are prone to lateral deformations under the load effects from external hydrostatic pressure, seabed ambient temperature, internal pressure, operating temperature and external reactions (e.g. seabed, structural support). These parameters along with other factors including pipe/soil interaction, installation stress and seabed topology influence the effective axial force that governs the pipeline global buckling response. The radius of curvature and amplitude of geometric imperfections (e.g. initial out of straightness) also affect the mode shape of the buckled profile. This study focuses on the assessment of controlled lateral buckling phenomena through development of calibrated numerical tools and conducting parametric studies. The research outcomes will aid pipeline engineers to develop a better understanding on lateral buckling mechanism of deep subsea pipelines under the influence of various operational and geometric parameters and varying soil properties along the pipeline route
展开▼