ABSTRACT

Vertical buckling of buried submarine pipeline caused by high temperature and pressure is an important issue endangering the safety and stability of pipeline (Nielsen et al. 1990, Guijt 1990, Liu et al. 2005). In-service hydrocarbons must be transported at high temperature and pressure to ease the flow and prevent solidification of the wax fraction. Thermal stress together with Poisson effect will cause the steel pipe to expand longitudinally. If such expansion is resisted, for example by frictional affects of the foundation soil over a kilometer or so of pipeline; compressive axial stress will be set up in the pipe-wall. When the value exceeds the constraint of foundation soil on the pipeline, sudden deformation will occur to release internal stress, which is similar to the sudden deformation of strut due to stability problems. The upheaval buckling may cause the pipeline destroyed suddenly, as a result, the effective prediction method and protection measure against this phenomenon are important parts in the design of buried submarine pipelines.