Dec 2014, AutoPIPE V8i 09.06.01.10

Problem:

Would it be appropriate to design fault line crossings by applying an offset to the pipeline? Are there any other way to model this?

Solution:

AutoPIPE provides the ability to the user to be able to generate soil stiffness properties using the method provided in ALA guideline (ASCE 2001: Guidelines for the Design of Buried Steel Pipe). Using the imposed support displacement with a buried pipe model, it may be possible to model a fault line crossing. There is no specific workflow currently in AutoPIPE to model a fault line crossing.

You can model a buried pipeline by provide the soil stiffness values in four directions, and then apply imposed support displacement values (e.g. If your total fault line displacement is say 10", you may start by providing 1" imposed support displacement from one piping node, increment that until you reach 10" total displacement). You may continue the imposed displacement after the fault line crossing keeping it at 10" until a virtual anchor is reached.

The displaced model would look something like the one shown below:

See Also

Model Soil Properties with Soil Calculator

Bentley AutoPIPE