Abstract: | In order to realistically assess the seismic risk of a pipeline system, the accurate estimate of the pipe strains which depend upon structural details, pipe material, properties of the surrounding soil, the nature of the propagating wave, etc. is critical. Emphasis in this study, therefore has been placed on the analysis of a structural strain for several types of piping elements unique to the buried pipeline and also the provision of a simplified design formula which can be used practically. The purpose of this study is (a) to define the slippage factor in order to estimate the decrease in pipe strain resulting from the slippage effect, (b) to propose a simplified method to evaluate the plastic deformation of the pipeline for severe earthquakes, and (c) to derive a practical design formula for the structural strains of bent pipes. |