Fatigue Analysis of Free Span for Submarine Pipeline

The offshore oil and gas are mainly gathered and transported by submarine pipeline due to its merits of continuity, convenience and less effect of climate. Free span often occurs because of the unevenness and scour of seabed and endangers the safe running of pipeline. Fatigue is one main failure mode for free span. In this paper, combined with the actual service status of submarine pipeline, considering the variation of velocity with time, the load of wave and current, the effect of cross-flow vibration to the in-line vibration, the fatigue failure of the detected free span is analysed primarily and detailedly by correlated standard, and the results are given.Copyright © 2013 by ASME