Response of a continuous pipeline in sand subjected to normal faulting

Abstract

The pipelines are vulnerable to fault deformation. Acknowledging the responses of pipelines subjected to faulting is a major concern when designing pipelines within the fault zone. In this study, a centrifuge test was conducted to investigate the response of a pipe in sand subjected to normal faulting. The model pipe is a continuous pipe, made of stainless steel. The measured pipe strain and deformation are discussed and compared with those in reverse fault. The results showed that the peak strain occurs at the footwall close to the rupture, where the maximum soil resistance induces. The peak strain leads to wrinkling of the pipe at the location. The crossing of the rupture will accelerate the increase of peak bending strain during faulting. Compared with the pipe subjected to reverse faulting, the pipe in normal fault experiences sooner failure, due to the larger differential soil displacement caused by faster rupture propagation.