Large deformation finite element analysis of vertical penetration of pipelines in seabed

Chatterjee, S., Randolph, M.F., White, D.J. and Wang, D. (2011) Large deformation finite element analysis of vertical penetration of pipelines in seabed. Gourvenec, Susan and White, David (eds.) In Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics II: Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics. CRC Press. pp. 785-790 .

Abstract

A large deformation finite element analysis method has been developed based on frequent remeshing and interpolation, linked to small strain analyses performed using the finite element package, ABAQUS. Initially, in order to validate the finite element approach, a set of simulations were undertaken based on the parameters obtained from a set of centrifuge model tests. Numerical simulation results matched well with the centrifuge results, provided both the effects of strain rate and softening were taken into account. The results of the subsequent parametric study showed that the vertical capacity depends strongly on the shear strength profile of the seabed, but is best correlated to the nominal shear strength at the depth of the pipeline invert. A simple approach to allowing for the rate of loading (in respect of strain rate dependency of the shear strength) and partial softening of the soil is described. It is concluded that predicting vertical embedment of pipelines on the seabed can be erroneous if secondary effects are not taken into consideration, including strain rate and softening, local soil heave and buoyancy forces.

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Contributors

Author: D.J. White

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