Analytical solution for buried pipeline deformation induced by normal and reverse fault considering structural joint influence

Abstract

Previous studies take less account of analytical solution analysis for buried pipeline under the action of active fault. Furthermore, current theoretical studies of fault‐pipeline interactions generally treat the structure as continuous pipeline, with less attention given to the effect of joints. This paper provides an analytical method to estimate the deformation and internal force of jointed pipelines under normal and reverse fault. By introducing the simplified soil deformation model and error function, the soil greenfield deformation curves under the influence of normal and reverse fault are obtained. Considering the interaction between the pipeline structure and the disturbed soil, the two‐parameter Pasternak foundation model is adopted to analyze the forces on pipeline infinitesimal elements. Then, the mechanical response of the jointed pipeline structure due to the fault additional load is solved by finite difference method. The accuracy of the presented analytical solution is verified by comparisons with observed data of model test and 3D numerical simulation results. Finally, the parametric analyses are performed to estimate the influence for the characteristics of the foundation, fault and joint, including subgrade shear stiffness, subgrade reaction coefficient, fault dip, joint rotational stiffness, joint spacing, and intersection of fault and pipeline.