Establishment and validation of a finite element model for transverse pipeline landslides

The safe operation of oil and gas pipelines is threatened severely by the geological landslides along the pipelines. The pipeline will suffer buckling deformation and fracture once its displacement or stress is too high. In this paper, a physical landslide model was built up by heaping soil artificially. The whole model is in the shape of round-backed armchair, and the buried pipeline is taken as the buried long beam. It is mainly used to monitor the surface deformation of landslide, deformation and stress of pipelines, pipe-soil interaction and force distribution inside the landslides. Based on the test results of physical model, a finite element model for transverse pipeline landslides was established according to the theory of elastic foundation beam. It is indicated that in a transverse pipeline landslide, the pipeline sections at the width center and the boundary along both sides suffer higher stress. Finally, the analysis results of finite element model were compared with the test results to verify the validity of this model. This model can be used to study further the mechanical effect of landslides on pipelines.