Submarine Pipeline

Route Selection
Upheaval Buckling
External Pressure Collapse
Rod Pinna
Platform, Pipeline and
Subsea Technology 403
The shortest distance between end points
may result in minimum material costs, but
may not necessarily be the optimum pipeline
route
Other factors that need consideration
include:
Water Depths
Presence of features such as rock outcrops, other
pipelines, prohibited zones, trenches, etc.
Presence of adverse environmental features:
breaking waves, high currents
Shipping or fishing zones
Suitability of shore crossing
Route Selection
For seabed with onerous terrain significant
savings on construction and installation costs
may be achieved by route optimisation
Need accurate cost data for:
Supply of linepipe
Fabrication cost
Free span correction
Trenching, rock dump, weightcoat, anchoring
Pipeline design must be reasonably complete
before route optimisation can be done
Route Optimisation
Temperature changes in pipeline (due to high
temperature fluid) can cause compressive
longitudinal stresses:
Upheaval Buckling
Axial
Displacement
Axial
Force
Anchor
Point
Unrestrained section of pipe
The tension or compression in a fully restrained
pipeline can be estimated using the following
equation:
Upheaval Buckling
( )( )
i inst i S LT
A P P T EA N N A = v o 2 1
Lay Tension
Thermal
Expansion
Pressure Expansion &
Poisson Contraction
N is tensile if positive in this equation
The previous equation for pipe compression is
the idealised maximum force that can be
generated
In reality some sliding may occur at the ends
of the pipe and bends and spans are likely to
result in some relaxation of the compressive
forces
Also unlikely that full lay tension strains will
be retained during burial
However, provides a conservative starting
point for buckling calculations
Upheaval Buckling
Picture of vertical and lateral buckling from
Hobbs:

Upheaval Buckling
The analytical method of Hobbs (1984) is
described here:
Shape of a vertical buckle may be described by
the differential equation

Upheaval Buckling
( ) 0 4
8
2 2
2
2
= + + L x
EI
w
y
EI
P
dx
y d
Compare with Euler
buckling equation
The differential equation can be solved for the
first mode shape
A force balance between the buckled section of
pipe and the section in contact with the seabed
then leads to the maximum deflection and
bending moment
EI
wL
y
4
3
max
10 408 . 2

=
Upheaval Buckling
2
max
06938 . 0 wL M =
If we take the axial force equal to the thermally
induced force, i.e. P = EAoAT then the buckle
length and amplitude versus change in temperature
can be plotted
Upheaval Buckling
Note bifurcation above equilibrium point B
Temperatures above this point can lead to snap-
through sudden instability
Dashed lines represent different initial imperfections
Upheaval Buckling
Lateral buckling is similar to upheaval buckling
except that restraint is provided by friction
rather than weight
So equation becomes

Lateral Buckling
( ) 0 4
8
2 2
2
2
= + + L x
EI
w
y
EI
P
dx
y d
Lateral buckling may also occur for a number of
mode shapes
So solutions for the first few mode shapes need to
be checked - see notes
Lateral Buckling
Analytical approaches contain some
approximations
Finite Element analyses may be useful for
more refined assessments of upheaval and
lateral buckling
Upheaval and Lateral
Buckling
Methods of mitigating upheaval and lateral
buckling include:
Product cooling
Rock dumping, anchoring, or mats
Laying pipeline in snaked configuration
Upheaval and Lateral
Buckling
During installation a pipeline is often empty
Deepwater pipelines can be subjected to high
external (hydrostatic) pressures and significant
bending
This can lead to collapse of the pipeline and
propagation along significant lengths
Bending/Hydrostatic collapse is the main
determinant of wall thickness in very
deepwater pipelines
Hydrostatic Collapse
The basic equation describing hydrostatic
collapse is:


Design codes often modify this equation to
account for initial pipe ovality and material
plasticity
Care should be taken to include ovalisation
induced during construction (e.g. reeling)
Hydrostatic Collapse
( )
2
3
1
2
v
=
D t E
P
el
Hydrostatic collapse behaviour has been
investigated experimentally with full scale tests
in recent years
Unfortunately the bulk of this work remains in
the commercial domain
Hydrostatic Collapse
If the pipeline is to be laid at depths where
buckling may occur Buckle Arrestors may be
installed at intervals along the pipe
These are thick walled sections of pipe, or
sleeves welded on to existing pipeline
Buckle Arrestors