Experimental and theoretical studies on lateral buckling of submarine pipelines

Global buckling of a submarine pipeline during high pressure/high temperature (HP/HT) operation results in a loss of pipeline stability that is similar to a bar in compression; this phenomenon constitutes one of the key factors affecting pipeline integrity and design. To intuitively study the buckling response, a test system was designed that can account for thermal loading and pipe-soil interactions, and this system was used to perform a series of small-scale model tests on the lateral buckling of submarine pipelines with different initial imperfections. Based on the hat-shaped buckling profiles of the test pipelines, a new buckling mode called hat-shaped buckling was proposed. In an attempt to study the conditions under which the pipeline exhibits this hat-shaped buckling mode, the changing law of the buckling mode was investigated through finite element analyses of pipelines with different parameters, including the length of the pipeline and the amplitude and wavelength of the initial imperfection. Subsequently, an analytical solution for calculating the buckling amplitude of a pipeline with a hat-shaped buckling profile was proposed. The theoretical solution was compared to the experimental data, which verified the feasibility of the model in calculating pipeline buckling deformation. The experimental data, the buckling mode based on these data and the corresponding analytical model discussed herein may provide a reference for future experimental studies of pipeline buckling.

Automated summary

This study investigates the hat-shaped buckling phenomenon of submarine pipelines through small-scale model tests and finite element analyses, proposing a new buckling mode and providing a reference for future experimental studies on pipeline buckling.