Análise Do Comportamento Geotécnico De Dutos Enterrados.

Abstract

This work presents an analytic and numeric study of the mechanical behavior of a
pipeline, together with an experimental test. The experimental test which has been carried out
by the Institute of Technological Researches of São Paulo (IPT), reproduces closely, the real
conditions of a pipeline lying in the sea bed, transporting oil from the semi-submergible
platforms to the stock ships. During the operation the steel pipeline is submitted to internal
pressure and lateral loads from waves and sea currents. The critical conditions during the
operation of pipelines result from lateral loads. The solutions (analytic and numeric)
discussed hereafter treat the study of the behavior of pipelines when submitted to those
conditions.
Limit analysis method has been used to find out the analytic solution and the numeric
simulation is performed using Finite Elements Method (FEM) through the PLAXIS program.
Elastic perfectly plastic yield criterion (Mohr-Coulomb) is used in both analyses. The
conclusions drawn from this study can be used to foresee futures behaviors of other load
states.