A Case Study of Sediment Transport on Trenched Backfill Granular and Cohesive Material due to Wave and Current

Abstract

In this study, after the installation of a subsea pipeline, backfilling was performed in the trenched area. During these operations, a stability problem in the subsea pipeline occurred. The pipeline was directly impacted by environmental loading such as waves and currents that were caused by backfill material when scouring or sediment transport and siltation was carried out. Therefore, this study reviewed whether trenching was necessary, and conducted research into an indigenous seabed property that contains granular soil. A study of cohesive soil was also conducted in order to cross-correlate after calculating the values of the critical Shields parameter relevant to elements of the external environment such as waves and current, and the shear Shields parameter that depends on the actual shearing stress. In case of 1), sedimentation or erosion does not occur. In the case of 2), partial sedimentation or erosion occurs. If the case is 3), full sedimentation or erosion occurs. Therefore, in the cases of 1) or 2), problems in structural subsea pipeline stability will not occur even if partial sedimentation or erosion occurs. This should be reflected particularly in cases with granular and cohesive soil when a reduction in shear strength occurs by cyclic currents and waves. In addition, since backfilling material does not affect the original seabed shear strength, a set-up factor should be considered to use a reduced of the shear strength in the original seabed.