Transverse response of offshore pipelines to random ground motion

Abstract

AbstractA method is presented for the determination of the transverse response of the idealized suspended span of an offshore pipeline to random seismic input. The method is based on spatial discretization of the pipe with nodal lumped masses. The earthquake is assumed to be a stationary random process characterized by a power spectral density function. The cross spectral density function between two random seismic excitations along the pipe length is defined with the help of a local earthquake power special density function, which is assumed to be the same for the two end supports of the pipeline, and a frequency dependent weighted function which decays exponentially with distance from the pipe supports. The solution is obtained in the frequency domain using the spectral approach and is presented in terms of r.m.s. displacements and stresses. The formulation adequately includes the pressure drag effect which tends to dampen the pipe motions. Utilizing this method of analysis, several idealized pipe sea bed configurations, in which the pipe is anchored between two end blocks and subjected to horizontal ground excitations normal to the pipe axis, have been analysed to predict the influence of certain important parameters on the response.