Imposed Ground Strain and Buried Pipelines

A technique for the analysis of buried pipelines subjected to longitudinal soil strain resulting from earthquakes or manmade underground explosions is presented. The effects of this soil strain on the axial strain in the pipeline as well as relative displacement at the pipeline joints are determined using a beam on elastic foundation approach. The pipeline is assumed to be straight and of prismatic cross section. The pipeline, pipeline joints and surrounding soil are assumed to behave as linear elastic materials. Non-dimensional curves are presented relating pipeline strains and relative joint displacement to the relative stiffness of the soil, joint and pipeline.