Parametric study of the wave-induced residual liquefaction around an embedded pipeline

Wave-induced liquefaction in a porous seabed around submarine pipeline may cause catastrophic consequences such as large horizontal displacements of pipelines on the seabed, sinking or floatation of buried pipelines. Most previous studies in relation to the wave and seabed interactions with embedded pipeline dealt with the wave-induced instaneous seabed response and possible resulting momentary liquefaction (where the soil is liquefied instantaneously during the passage of a wave trough), using theory of poro-elasticity. Studies for the interactions between a buried pipeline and a soil undergoing build-up of pore pressure and residual liquefaction have been comparatively rare. In this paper, this complicated process was investigated by using a new developed integrated numerical model with RANS (Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes) equations used for governing the incompressible flow in the wave field and Biot consolidation equations used for linking the solid–pore fluid interactions in a porous seabed with embedded pipeline. Regarding the wave-induced residual soil response, a two-dimensional poro-elastoplastic solution with the new definition of the source term was developed, where the pre-consolidation analysis of seabed foundation under gravitational forces including the body forces of a pipeline was incorporated. The proposed numerical model was verified with laboratory experiment to demonstrate its accuracy and effectiveness. The numerical results indicate that residual liquefaction is more likely to occur in the vicinity of the pipeline compared to that in the far-field. The inclusion of body forces of a pipeline in the pre-consolidation analysis of seabed foundation significantly affects the potential for residual liquefaction in the vicinity of the pipeline, especially for a shallow-embedded case. Parametric studies reveal that the gradients of maximum liquefaction depth with various wave and soil characteristics become steeper as pipeline burial depth decreases.     

底床粉质土液化下波动水体含沙量垂向L型分布特征试验研究

根据现场大风浪条件下的实测资料,粉质土海岸水体中的含沙量沿垂向具有上部均匀、近底突增的分布特点,即呈L型分布特征。利用黄河三角洲粉质土作为试验底床开展波浪水槽试验研究,揭示了底床粉质土在波浪作用下产生液化情况的水体含沙量沿垂向存在L型分布特征。根据试验现象以及悬沙粒度变化,分析认为底部高含沙层的形成主要受粉质土液化后细颗粒析出的影响,上部水体中悬沙由湍流脉动维持。对粉质土海岸大风天气期间水体含沙量剧烈增加采用波致粉质土液化的观点进行了初步解释。     

Wave induced forces around buried pipelines

This work refers to an experimental investigation carried out to analyze wave induced pressures on a pipeline buried in a permeable seabed. In this investigation, the model tests were performed on a pipeline buried in the soil test bed. The wave flume used was 30 m long, 2 m wide and 1.7 m deep, 96 number of tests were conducted with waves generated for different wave heights. A pipeline 200 mm in diameter was buried in the sandy bed at different burial depth ratios. The pipeline was laid perpendicular to the wave direction, pressure was measured with 12 transducers along the outer circumference of the pipeline. The results show that wave induced pressures are significantly controlled by the wave period analyzed in terms of the scattering parameter (ka). Higher pressures were recorded at the top and the lower pressures were recorded at the bottom.     

Wave pressures and uplift forces on and scour around submarine pipeline in clayey soil

Experimental investigations are carried out on wave-induced pressures and uplift forces on a submarine pipeline (exposed, half buried and fully buried) in clayey soil of different consistency index both in regular and random waves. A study on scour under the pipeline resting on the clay bed is also carried out. It is found that the uplift force can be reduced by about 70%, if the pipeline is just buried in clay soil. The equilibrium scour depth below the pipeline is estimated as 42% of the pipe diameter for consistency index of 0.17 and is 34% of the pipe diameter for consistency index of 0.23. The results of the present investigations are compared with the results on sandy soil by Cheng and Liu (Appl. Ocean Res., 8(1986) 22) to acknowledge the benefit of cohesive soil in reducing the high pore pressure on buried pipeline compared to cohesionless soil.     

Pore pressure loads on gravity structures

It is common practice to compute wave-induced loads on the immersed surface of gravity structures exposed to the wave motion and disregard the pore-water pressure variation on the foundation surface. However, when the soil is porous, wave-induced pressures propagate within the soil under the structure and result in a rather significant contribution to overall loads. This paper describes a practical method for numerical modeling of the pore pressure under a gravity platform foundation for compressible water and a rigid, but porous soil. The porous soil may be bounded by an impermeable horizontal layer at some arbitrary depth.

The paper outlines the basic boundary element procedure for pore pressure analysis and presents numerical results for a typical gravity structure as well as results for comparison with an existing analytical solution for a vertical circular cylinder.     

Wave interaction with a submarine pipeline in clayey soil due to random waves

The wave pressure and uplift force due to random waves on a submarine pipeline (resting on bed, partially buried and fully buried) in clayey soil are measured. The influence of various parameters viz., wave period, wave height, water depth, burial depth and consistency index of the soil on wave pressures around and uplift force on the submarine pipeline was investigated. The wave pressures were measured at three locations around the submarine pipeline (each at 120° to the adjacent one). It is found that the wave pressure and uplift force spectrum at high consistency index of the soil is smaller compared to that of low consistency index. Just burying the pipeline (e/D=1.0) in clayey soil reduces the uplift force to less than 60% of the force experienced by a pipeline resting on the seabed (e/D=0.0) for I_c=0.33.     

波浪作用下粘质粉砂底床性态变化的试验研究

利用不同波高条件下的波浪水槽试验,对现行黄河水下三角洲粘质粉砂底床的性态变化进行了研究.试验中观测了底床土体孔隙水压力的变化和扰动破坏区与未扰动破坏区之间在波浪作用下的性态差异.结果分析表明,土体孔隙水压力受波高要素影响较大;扰动破坏区含水量减小和容重增加现象比未扰动破坏区明显.在扰动破坏区经波浪长时间作用后形成凹坑塌陷,此结果对认识黄河三角洲上凹坑塌陷的形成过程有借鉴意义.     

Onset of scour below pipelines and self-burial

This paper summarizes the results of an experimental study on the onset of scour below and self-burial of pipelines in currents/waves. Pressure was measured on the surface of a slightly buried pipe at two points, one at the upstream side and the other at the downstream side of the pipe, both in the sand bed. The latter enabled the pressure gradient (which drives a seepage flow underneath the pipe) to be calculated. The results indicated that the excessive seepage flow and the resulting piping are the major factor to cause the onset of scour below the pipeline. The onset of scour occurred always locally (but not along the length of the pipeline as a two-dimensional process). The critical condition corresponding to the onset of scour was determined both in the case of currents and in the case of waves. Once the scour breaks out, it will propagate along the length of the pipeline, scour holes being interrupted with stretches of soil (span shoulders) supporting the pipeline. As the span shoulder gets shorter and shorter, more and more weight of the pipeline is exerted on the soil. In this process, a critical point is reached where the bearing capacity of the soil is exceeded (general shear failure). At this point, the pipe begins to sink at the span shoulder (self-burial). It was found that the self-burial depth is governed mainly by the Keulegan–Carpenter number. The time scale of the self-burial process, on the other hand, is governed by the Keulegan–Carpenter number and the Shields parameter. Diagrams are given for the self-burial depth and the time scale of the self-burial process.     

A numerical model for onset of scour below offshore pipelines

A numerical model is developed to predict the onset of local scour below offshore pipelines in steady currents and waves. The scour is assumed to start when the pressure gradient underneath the pipeline exceeds the floatation gradient of the sediments. In this model, the water flow field above the bed is determined by solving the two-dimensional (2-D) Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations with a k-ω turbulence closure. The seepage flow below the seabed is calculated by solving the Darcy's law (Laplace's equation) with known pressure distribution along the common boundaries of the flow domains-seabed. The numerical method used for both the turbulent flow around the pipeline and Darcy's flow in the seabed is a fractional finite element method. The average pressure gradient along the buried pipe surface is employed in the evaluation of onset condition with a calibration coefficient. The numerical model is validated against experimental data available in literature. A unified onset condition for steady currents and waves is proposed. Influences of flow parameters, including water depth, embedment depth, boundary layer thickness, Reynolds number (Re) and Keuleagan–Carpenter (KC) number, on the pressure drop coefficient over the pipeline are studied systematically.     

海底管道掏空与波浪力变化关系试验

鉴于海底油气管道在海洋能源开发中的特殊意义,前人开展了大量管道安全试验研究,特别注重不同底床、不同波浪条件、不同埋置深度等方面的组合试验,本次试验针对危害管道安全的掏空和悬跨开展了波浪水槽试验,探讨黄河三角洲为主的粉土海床上掏空与管道受力关系,弥补这方面研究的不足,结果表明,海底管道受力变化与掏空过程密切相关。连续试验过程表明,海底管道与海床土、波浪水体之间存在密切关系。海底管道在波浪作用下冲刷掏空经历了3个演变阶段:泥沙起动阶段、水流隧道发育阶段、快速掏空阶段和冲刷平衡阶段。水流隧道伴随的管涌对冲刷掏空起重要作用。伴随冲刷掏空,管道波浪力出现规律性转化,从正向作用逐渐过渡到负向作用,也可以分出4个演化阶段:冲刷初始阶段,管道波浪力以正向为主,管道表现为正向力作用下的振动;隧道发育阶段,管道受到的作用力主要是波峰上举力和波谷下拉力,表现为上下振动;管道悬空阶段,波峰负向作用力和波谷正向力交替出现,管道在波浪作用下表现为前后振动;冲刷平衡阶段,管道主要在负向作用力下振动。     

循环荷载下粉土液化流动特性拖球试验研究

基于流体力学中的Stokes黏滞阻力理论,以振动台试验为基础,开发了一套测量液化过程中粉土流变特性的拖球试验装置。在铺有粉土海床的模型箱内埋设光滑小球,通过测量小球水平运动过程中所受阻力值的大小,计算粉土液化的表观动力黏度,分析粉土液化过程中的表观动力黏度与超孔压比之间的关系,以及液化后表观黏度与应变率的变化规律。试验结果表明,振动台试验下,孔隙压力表现为迅速上升,粉土迅速达到液化状态;振动过程对海床固结影响较大;粉土海床在未达到完全液化状态时（ru<1）,表观黏度随超孔压比增大而减小,在液化状态下（ru=1）,剪应力随应变率增大而减小,粉土呈现出剪切稀化的特点,为典型的非牛顿流体特征。     

辽河三角洲潮道软土及其工程灾害研究

辽河三角洲潮道沉积物为软弱淤泥质土，管桩在波流荷载作用下的弹性变形或振动，可以导致潮道软土强度衰减并发生变形位移，随着悬臂段加长和波流荷载振动作用，下部扮土会自上而下发生液化。简单管桩的抗倾验算可以按照波流力与被动土压力的作用力矩分析，并考虑到海底的冲刷淘空深度。管桩打入下卧高强度粉土时，在保证打入深度的同时，应适当增大管桩的强度，加大管桩自振周期与波浪周期的差值。     

海底管道受坠物锚击损伤试验与数值模拟研究

为探索海底管道在锚击作用下的损伤规律,通过海底管道损伤试验和数值模拟,研究了坠物质量、坠落高度和坠物形状对海底管道机械损伤的影响,并结合试验结果修正了Ellinas-Wallker公式。研究结果表明:管道的凹陷损伤随坠物质量和坠落高度的增大而变大;在相同质量的立方体、球体和模型锚三种形状坠物作用下,球体坠物对管道的损伤最严重;EllinasWallker公式计算结果偏于保守,修正后计算结果与试验和数值模拟结果吻合良好。研究结果可以为海底管道的工程设计及应用提供一定的参考。     

Sinking of irregular shape blocks into marine seabed under wave-induced liquefaction

The sinking of initially buried irregular blocks into the seabed under wave-induced liquefaction was investigated by experimental methods. Pore-water pressure in the soil, water surface elevation time series and block displacements were measured. Results indicated that initiation of sinking coincides with the instant at which the accumulated pore-water pressure at the bottom level of the block reaches the initial mean normal effective stress. The drag forces and drag coefficients on steadily sinking irregular shaped blocks, as well as spherical and cubical ones, were calculated from the obtained data and compared with the available data in the literature. The results show that the shape of sinking block is of minor importance as far as the kinematics and dynamics of the sinking block is concerned. The conditions at which the sinking terminates are discussed in the light of experiments. Using the approach presented here, the ultimate sinking depths are calculated for the tested cases and compared with the experimental results. The calculated and measured values showed a reasonable agreement when compared. Finally a summary and remarks are presented to calculate the ultimate sinking depth of irregular shaped blocks for practical applications.     

黄河水下三角洲浅表土体的风暴液化问题探讨

黄河水下三角洲的地质勘察揭示了海底浅表地层发生的各种灾害地质现象。本文以风暴浪导致海底土体液化观点,结合土体动力三轴试验、波浪水槽试验,对黄河水下三角洲浅表地层土体的液化发生条件、形成模式、液化土体运动以及地层发生的重新层化问题进行了分析,指出黄河水下三角洲的灾害地质由于风暴浪导致海底粉质土液化运动而形成,液化后土体运动形式与波浪运动一致,液化土体运动造成的土颗粒分异而使地层重新层化,并初步指出了风暴浪导致海底土体液化在地学、环境、工程等方面的研究问题。     

The impact of wave loads and pore-water pressure generation on initiation of sediment transport

The build-up of pore-water pressure by waves can lead to sediment liquefaction and subsequent transport by traction currents. This process was investigated by measuring pore-water pressures both in a field experiment and laboratory wave tank tests. Liquefaction was observed in the wave tank tests. The results suggest that sand is less susceptible than silts to wave-induced liquefaction because of the tendency to partially dissipate pore-water pressures. However, previous studies have determined that pore-water pressures must approach liquefaction before current velocities necessary to initiate transport are reduced. Once liquefaction has occurred more sediment can be transported.     

Surface gravity wave interaction with elastic bottom

In the present paper, a hydroelastic model is developed to deal with surface gravity wave interaction with an elastic bed based on the small amplitude water wave theory and plate deflection in finite water depth. The elastic bottom bed is modelled as a thin elastic plate and is based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation. The wave characteristics in the presence of the elastic bed is analyzed in both the cases of deep and shallow water waves. Further, the linearized long wave equation is generalized to include bottom flexibility. A generalized expansion formula for the velocity potential is derived to deal with the boundary value problems associated with surface gravity waves having an elastic bed. The utility of the expansion formula is illustrated by demonstrating specific physical problems which will play significant role in the analysis of wave structure interaction problems. Behavior of the wave spectra are discussed in the case of closed basin having a free surface and an elastic bottom topography.     

波浪作用下液化粉土流动特性拖球试验研究

粉质土大量存在于黄河水下三角洲地区,粉土液化过程中具有类似流体的性质,可以把液化过程中的粉土视为黏性流体进行研究。基于流体力学中Stokes黏滞阻力原理,在波浪水槽试验基础上,设计了一套测量液化过程中粉土流变特性的拖球装置,并对其实用性进行验证。在铺设有粉土底床的波浪水槽中埋入可以水平滑动的小球,通过拖动小球在粉土中水平运动,测量小球所受阻力值的大小,用以计算液化粉土表观动力黏度。充分考虑试验中波浪要素、超孔压比等因素的影响。结果表明,该装置能够满足试验要求;波浪循环荷载作用下,观察到了孔压的累积至液化的过程;波浪参数对结果有较大影响,其中波高越大,表观黏度值越小;同一波高情况下,表观黏度随时间缓慢增加;随着超孔压比的升高,波浪作用下粉土表观黏度值逐渐减小。     

An experimental study of seabed responses around a marine pipeline under wave and current conditions

Experiments on three types of soil (d₅₀=0.287, 0.057 and 0.034 mm) with pipeline(D=4 cm) either half buried or resting on the seabed under regular wave or combined with current actions were conducted in a large wave flume to investigate characteristics of soil responses. The pore pressures were measured through the soil depth and across the pipeline. When pipeline is present the measured pore pressures in sandy soil nearby the pipeline deviate considerably from that predicted by the poro-elasticity theory. The buried pipeline seems to provide a degree of resistance to soil liquefaction in the two finer soil seabeds. In the silt bed, a negative power relationship was found between maximum values of excess pore pressure p_max and test intervals under the same wave conditions due to soil densification and dissipation of the pore pressure. In the case of wave combined with current, pore pressures in sandy soil show slightly decrease with time, whereas in silt soil, the current causes an increase in the excess pore pressure build-up, especially at the deeper depth. Comparing liquefaction depth with scour depth underneath the pipeline indicates that the occurrence of liquefaction is accompanied with larger scour depth under the same pipeline-bed configuration.     

海岸沙坝近底悬移质通量实验研究

为了研究海岸沙坝的产生和演化机理,对不规则波和波群作用下沙坝上方的近底悬移质通量进行了实验研究。分析了短波、长波和平均水流对悬移质通量的影响。结果表明:各种波况下平均水流和长波的作用始终使泥沙向离岸方向输移,而短波的作用使泥沙向岸方向运动;平均水流引起的泥沙输移始终占主要成分,长波的次之。不规则波情况下平均水流的影响较规则波的情况相对较弱,三种成分对泥沙输运的贡献属于同一量级。波群情况下长波的影响随着波浪群性的增强而加大,短波的不明显,而平均水流的影响则随着波浪群性的增强而减弱。