A 3D numerical modeling of polyethylene buried pipes affected by fault movement

Abstract

The large and sustainable deformations of ground and fault movement are the most serious threats for buried pipelines. Heavy damages resulting from the rupture of buried pipes have caused many researchers analyze this issue in the recent years. In this study, the impact of fault movement on the buried polyethylene pipes was investigated. Initially, numerical results were validated based on the fault test results. The fault movement was simulated using Finite Difference Method (FDM). The numerical results were in good agreement with the experimental results. Next, a sensitivity analysis was performed for various parameters of buried depth, the angle of fault, and the fault vertical displacement. The results showed that axial forces and bending moments in the pipe enhance by increasing each of these parameters. It was also observed that the induced horizontal and vertical displacements exceed the tolerance of connections and they will be disrupted at the location of fault movement. Keywords: Polyethylene buried pipes, Fault movement, Numerical modeling, FDM