Future offshore pipelines development moves towards challenging operating condition and deep/ultra-deep water applications. Understanding the failure mechanisms and quantifying the strength and deformation capacity of pipelines, special components (buckle arrestors, wye, etc.) and in-line structures (in-line sled, in-line valve, in-line tee, etc.) is a need, under installation and operation loads, taking in account different geometrical characteristics and mechanical behaviors. The objective of this paper is to present and discuss recent FEM approaches integrating global and local analyses to evaluate the pipeline response and local effects, respectively. Thanks to this method the results coming from the global FEM analysis (main loads and driving phenomena) are used as input data for local FE Model with the aim to detect stress/strain intensification and other issues due to the local characteristics. In this paper: • The challenges of future deep water offshore pipelines are briefly presented; • The typical loading scenarios for pipelines during installation and operation are discussed; • The PipeONE 2014 tool, developed to facilitate the input/output data sharing between global and local FEM analyses, is presented and fully described in its main characteristics and capabilities; • An example is presented with the aim to understand and to appreciate the PipeONE 2014 functionality in FE modeling.
Unexploded charges e.g. mines, bombs, torpedoes, etc... are rarely identified at a very early stage of reconnaissance surveys for pipeline route corridors. These ordnances are found during detailed pre-engineering or pre-lay surveys and, sometimes and not surprisingly, during the ordinary surveys performed on the pipeline in service. UXOs represent a hazard for the pipeline as well as for the assets and people involved in the construction phase. An appropriate mitigation plan in areas potentially affected is generally performed, including ordnance removal or mined-area clearance. Large diameter long offshore trunk lines crossing different territorial waters are often exposed to this kind of hazard. As such, pipeline construction and operation call for advanced numerical modelling as unique/valuable tool for providing a quantitative measure of the UXOs related risks. In recent projects the understanding of the underwater explosion process and prediction of damages associated to specific weapon-target engagement are based on the outcome of engineering tools based on finite element modelling. The continuing development of multi-purpose and multi-physics finite element analyses codes facilitates their application, providing sharp and detailed insight into the complex subject of underwater explosive effect and the coupled response of nearby structures. The scope of the structural integrity assessment is to define the minimum distance to be guaranteed between the pipeline and unexploded ordnance to avoid any risk of pipeline damage, as a function of the quantity of explosive. The engineering task of the integrity assessment includes the definition of the relevant conditions for the pipeline whether buried or free spanning, the analysis of the interaction between the gas bubble and shock pressure waves and the cylindrical shape of the pipeline, both as a shell that collapse under a pressure wave and a pipe length that moves laterally and develops bending. The objective is to evaluate the minimum allowable distance of the ordnance from the pipeline, as a function of the explosive quantity and type. In this paper, a series of real cases is presented in order to provide the most relevant parameters characterizing the integrity assessment under the applied load scenario from propagating shock waves. The propagation in water of shock pressure waves induced by the underwater explosion of a spherical charge is performed using finite element modelling, after model verification and validation with respect to the analytical and experimental formulations available in open literature. The outcome from finite element modelling is compared with findings from a simplified model based on modal analysis of the pipe shell – inward bulging and collapse of the pipe section and of the pipe beam – lateral displacement of the impacted stretch and bending at the crest of the buckle.
Concrete Weight Coating is used in offshore industry to provide for pipeline vertical and lateral stability against waves and currents and to guarantee protection against fishing activities. Reinforced concrete coating of adequate strength, especially in case of thick coatings for stringent in-place stability requirements, entails additional bending stiffness and consequently strain concentration at field joints, thus significantly affecting the state of stress and strain on the pipe steel during laying firstly, and then during operations. Attention of the offshore pipeline industry has been focused in the development of experimental and theoretical activities in a more scientific way, which aimed to satisfy the need of a better knowledge in this field. Both analytical and FEM solutions are available in the free literature and relevant standards to predict the contribution of concrete coating layer on global pipeline strength and deformation capacity and simplified threshold values for the concrete damage are provided, as well. Generally, for installation analysis purpose, a pipeline with equivalent mechanical behavior (bending moment-curvature relationship) and physical (weight) properties is used in installation and operation analyses. No assumptions are typically made on concrete damage evolution to evaluate the decay of pipe capacity beyond the elastic range. In this paper new advances in modelling the mechanical behavior of concrete coated joints are discussed. In particular an advanced ABAQUS finite element model is proposed to take into account the effect of concrete coating damage on the overall capacity. The following effects have been accounted: • Non-linear stress-strain relationship of the steel at large usage factors/curvatures on the strain concentration at the field joint. • Concrete coating damage evolution on global pipeline bending stiffness. In this paper: • The state-of-the-art about published materials, numerical studies and design approaches on concrete material modelling and concrete coated pipes is briefly presented; • A FEM based analysis methodology is drawn and proposed for the strength and deformation capacity assessment of a concrete coated pipe; • The FEM model is calibrated on available full scale tests; • The results of a project case study performed with ABAQUS FE Model are given.
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