ABSTRACT
Pipeline networks for gas and water are the lifelines of our society. Their presence and correct functioning translates in benefits and any disruption, malfunctioning or ruptures represent hazards for the community. Most pipelines are buried, which impedes direct monitoring of the structural reliability of the networks. The behavior of the soil surrounding the pipes in combination with the network layout may impose hazardous deformations, threatening the integrity of the network. Reducing the uncertainty with respect to present and future soil displacements and their effect on the structural response of the pipelines is one of the key instruments for improving condition and risk based asset management strategies.
The paper describes steps and results from a Dutch joint research project that connects the effects of spatial variability in soil layering and properties, the effects of spatial building activities carried out in the past and the physical and geometrical properties of the pipeline networks into annual exceedance probabilities of performance loss.
