A critical review on performance of buried pipeline subjected to pipe bursting and earthquake induced permanent ground deformation.

Abstract

The primary means of transportation for various substances including water, oil and natural gas are the nation’s pipelines. From the geotechnical perspective, one of the prime reasons for buried pipeline failure is the impact of ground deformation either resulting from the earthquake (viz. landslide, lateral spreading, fault movement), or from nearby pipe bursting operation. Failure of a pipeline can lead to an explosion, environmental contamination, fire, financial loss, and risk to living beings. Hence, it is crucial to design the buried pipeline considering the impact of potential earth movement. In this regard, the current review article highlighted the impact of seismic landslide and other possible patterns of ground deformation on buried pipeline along with the effect of pipe bursting induced ground movement on surrounding pipeline particularly focusing on analytical works. In addition, a statistical sensitivity analysis is also performed to identify the most influencing pipe-soil input design parameters.