STABILITY OF SUBMARINE

PIPELINES AGAINST
ENVIRONMENTAL LOADS

Dr.S.NEELAMANI
DEPARTMENT OF OCEAN ENGINEERING
IIT MADRAS

WHAT IS STABILIZATION OF SUBMARINE

PIPE LINES? WHY SUBMARINE PIPELINES
NEEDS TO BE STABILIZED?
1.

TO PROTECT THE PIPES FROM WAVES AND

CURRENT LOADS, WHICH CAUSES
FLOATATION
SCOUR
SPANNING
RESONANCE VIBRATION
FATIGUE FAILURE

2.

TO PREVENT FORCES DUE TO SOIL SLIDING

3.

TO PREVENT DAMAGE DUE TO ANCHORS

WHAT IS THAT ONE SHOULD DO BEFORE

SELECTING SUITABLE STABILIZATION TECHNIC?
1.

2.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
WAVES AND CURRENTS
MUD SLIDES
TURBIDITY CURRENTS
LIQUEFACTION EFFECTS
EARTH QUAKE EFFECTS
COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS
IS BURIAL OF THE PIPELINE OR ITS EXPOSURE IS
WARRANTED FOR THE OPERATION AND
MAINTENANCE?

3.

WHERE IS THE LOCATION OF THE

SURF ZONE OR AWAY?

PIPELINE? -

4.

IS THE PIPE LINE FOR TRANSPORTING

HAZARDOUS OR NON HAZARDOUS CARGO?

CLASSIFICATION
1.

REFERENCE TO SEA BED

A.
B.

BURIED PIPELINES
EXPOSED PIPELINES

2.

SEVERITY OF WAVE ACTION

A.
B.

PIPE LINES IN THE SURF ZONE

PIPELINES IN THE OFFSHORE ZONE

3.

TYPE OF CARGO TO BE TRANSPORTED

A.

PIPELINES FOR HAZARDOUS CARGO

(EX: LPG, LNG, SULFURIC AND NITRIC ACIDS,
`METHANE, ETHYLENE, AMMONIA ETC.)

B.

PIPELINES FOR NON HAZARDOUS CARGO

(EX: EDIBLE OIL, FRESH WATER, SEA WATER,
ETC.)

MAJOR FORCES AFFECTING SUBMARINE PIPELINE

S.NO
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

FORCE
BUOYANCY FORCE
ULTIMATE BEARING
DRAG FORCE
INERTIAL FORCE
LIFT FORCE
PULLOUT RESISTANCE
PASSIVE SOIL RESISTANCE
SLIDING RESISTANCE
ARTIFICIAL WEIGHT
IMPACT FORCE

INTERACTION
WATER-PIPELINE
CAPACITYSOIL-PIPELINE
WATER-PIPELINE
WATER-PIPELINE
WATER-PIPELINE
SOIL-PIPELINE
SOIL-PIPELINE
SOIL-PIPELINE
SOIL-PIPELINE
FOREIGN
OBJECT -PIPELINE

SYMBOL
FB
FC
FD
FI
FL
FO
FP
FS
FW
FX

FB
FB

FL

FL
FD

FI
FI

FD
e
s c

FW
FC

FO

FP

s c

e
FW

FC

FC
ELEVATED PIPE LINE

FS

FB

FB

FB

FL

FL
FD

s c

FW

FS

FL

FD

FI

s c

FW

FI
FS
FP

FD

s c

FW

FC
FC
SURFACE or PARTIALLY BURIED PIPELINE

FI

FS
FP

FB

s c

s c

FC

FB

FW
FC
BURIED PIPELINE

FW

ENVIRONMENTAL FORCES
A.
B.

VERTICAL FORCES
HORIZONTAL FORCES

VERTICAL FORCES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

BUOYANCY FORCE (FB)

HYDRODYNAMIC LIFT FORCE (FL).
PIPELINE OR ARTIFICIAL WEIGHT (FW)
SOIL BEARING CAPACITY (FC)
PULLOUT FORCES (FO).

HORIZONTAL FORCES
1.
DRAG FORCE (FD)
2.
INERTIAL FORCE (FI)
3.
SLIDING RESISTANCE (FS)
4.
LATERAL SOIL RESISTANCE (FP)
5.
IMPACT FORCE (FX) (SOMETIMES VERTICAL
ALSO)

BUOYANCY FORCES
POSSIBILITY FOR +VE BUOYANCY FORCE (UPWARD)
1.

FLUID DENSITY TO BE TRANSPORTED IS

THAN THE SURROUNDING SEAWATER.

LESS

(EX : SANITARY WASTE WATER WITH SG OF

0.99 TO NATURAL GAS WITH A SG OF 0.0007).
2.

DISCHARGE OF AIR OR OTHER GAS INTO A

PIPELINE CARRYING A LIQUID.
(EX : AIR ENTRAINMENT INTO A SEWAGE
EFFLUENT RESULTING FROM TURBULENT
MIXING IN A CHLORINE CONTACT CHAMBER)

3.CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION METHODS CALL FOR THE

PRESSURIZATION OF THE PIPELINES WITH AIR AND
THEN THE CONTROLLED RELEASE OF AIR TO AID IN
LAYING THE PIPE ON THE BOTTOM.
(EX : THE BOTTOM PULL AND STRING FLOAT METHOD)
4.MATERIAL DENSITIES LESS THAN THE SURROUNDING
SEAWATER.
(EX : HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE PIPE WITH A
SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF 0.955).

LIFT FORCE
1.
2.

HORIZONTAL CURRENTS
WAVE-INDUCED WATER PARTICLE MOTIONS

MAGNITUDE OF LIFT FORCE

1.
2.
3.

OUTER DIAMETER OF THE PIPE, DO

FLUID VELOCITY, U
RELATIVE CLEARANCE OF THE PIPE FROM
THE OCEAN BOTTOM.
(MAXIMUM FORCE CONDITIONS ARE
GENERATED WHEN THERE IS NO GAP
BETWEEN THE PIPE AND BOTTOM.)

THE LIFT FORCE, FL = 0.5 CL DO U2

WHERE
CL

:
:

LIFT COEFFICIENT
MASS DENSITY OF THE SEAWATER

SELECTION OF PROPER LIFT COEFFICIENT IS VERY

IMPORTANT.

STEADY FLOW CONDITION

CL

1.0, PIPE RESTING ON THE SEAFLOOR

0.4, PIPE ONE-HALF DIAMETER ABOVE
THE BOUNDARY.

ARTIFICIAL WEIGHT
IF THE BUOYANCY AND LIFT FORCES ARE
GREATER THAN THE WEIGHT OF THE PIPE,
ARTIFICIAL WEIGHT WILL BE REQUIRED.
WEIGHT OF THE CONCRETE COATING
FW = 0.25 C ( DC2 - DO2)
WHERE
C
:
THE SUBMERGED UNIT WEIGHT OF
COATING MATERIAL
DC
:
OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF THE PIPE WITH
COATING
THE CRITERIA FOR WEIGHT OF THE CONCRETE
COATING:
FW > FB + FL.

SPECIAL COLLARS
CAN BE FITTED TO THE PIPELINE AT REGULAR INTERVALS TO
OFFSET THE UPWARD FORCES
F W = C B C HC L C / L P
WHERE
BC : WIDTH OF THE WEIGHTED COLLAR
HC : EXPOSED HEIGHT OF WEIGHTED
COLLAR
LC : LENGTH OF WEIGHTED COLLAR
LP : LENGTH OF THE PIPELINE
FOR VERTICAL STABILITY, THE EXCESS WEIGHT OF THE
PIPELINE (F W - F B - F L > 0) MUST NOT EXCEED THE ULTIMATE
BEARING CAPACITY OF THE SUBMARINE SOIL.

ULTIMATE BEARING CAPACITY, FC

S
Z
B

:
:
:

SUBMERGED UNIT WEIGHT OF SOIL

EFFECTIVE BURIAL DEPTH OF PIPELINE
PROJECTED WIDTH OF THE PIPE IN
THE HORIZONTAL PLANE
(DIAMETER OF THE PIPE IF IT IS CIRCULAR)
COHESIVE SHEAR STRENGTH

FC

(NQ S Z + 0.5 N S B) B

(NC C + S Z) B

FOR COHESIONLESS SOIL

FOR COHESIVE SOIL

NC , NQ & N : BEARING CAPACITY FACTORS

PULLOUT RESISTANCE
IF, FV = FW - FB - FL < 0, THIS UPWARD FORCE CAN BE
COUNTER BALANCED BY THE PULLOUT RESISTANCE
THROUGH PILES OR ANCHORS.

PULLOUT RESISTANCE OF PILES

FO

(0.5 K PP ZP2 S TAN ) / LP(COHESIONLESS)

(C PP ZP / ST ) / LP (COHESIVE SOIL)

WHERE
K

THE COEFFICIENT OF LATERAL EARTH

PRESSURE

ST
ZP
PP
LP

:
:
:
:
:

THE SENSITIVITY OF THE COHESIVE SOIL

THE EMBEDMENT LENGTH OF PILE
THE PERIMETER LENGTH OF PIPE
THE LENGTH OF PIPE
THE INTERFACE FRICTION ANGLE

PULLOUT RESISTANCE OF ANCHORS

FO = WA + S Z AA
WHERE
WA

AA

THE SUBMERGED WEIGHT OF THE

ANCHOR.
THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE AREA OF A
SOIL ANCHOR.

DRAG FORCE
FD = 0.5 CD DO U2
CD : DRAG COEFFICIENT.
DESIGN VALUE OF CD = 1.0 FOR STEADY FLOW CASE

INERTIA FORCE
FI = 0.25 CI DO2 DU/DT
DU/DT

THE HORIZONTAL ACCELERATION

CI

THE INERTIA COEFFICIENT.

(FUNCTION OF RELATIVE CLEARANCE OF THE PIPE

FROM THE SEA FLOOR.)
= 3.3 FOR THE PIPE AGAINST THE SEA FLOOR
= 2.0 FOR THE PIPE GREATER THAN ONE-HALF
PIPE DIA ABOVE THE SEA BED BOUNDARY.

THE DRAG AND INERTIA FORCES

1.
2.

PERIODICALLY VARYING FORCES

NOT IN PHASE WITH EACH OTHER.

SLIDING RESISTANCE
INTERFACIAL FRICTION BETWEEN THE SOIL AND PARTIALLY BURIED
PIPELINE
FS

FV TAN + 0.5 S Z2 TAN2 (45+/2)

C B + (0.5 S Z + 2C) Z

FOR COHESIONLESS SOIL

FOR COHESIVE SOIL OR MORE SIMPLY BY

F S = K F FV
0.6 < KF < 1.2 FOR COHESIONLESS SOIL
0.18 < KF < 0.4 FOR COHESIVE SOIL.
IF SUFFICIENT SLIDING RESISTANCE DOES NOT EXISTS (F S < FD + FI ),
THEN OTHER METHODS MUST BE INCORPORATED FOR LATERAL
STABILITY.

PASSIVE SOIL RESISTANCE

FOR A PARTIALLY OR COMPLETELY BURIED
PIPELINE, HORIZONTAL FORCES ON THE PIPELINE
ARE RESISTED BY THE LATERAL PASSIVE FORCE OF
THE SOIL. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE MASS OF THE
SOIL RESISTING LATERAL DEFORMATION.
FP

=
=

NQ S Z DO FOR COHESIONLESS SOIL

NC C DO FOR COHESIVE SOIL

FOR PARTIALLY BURIED PIPELINE, ONLY THE

EFFECTIVE BURIED PORTION OF THE DIAMETER IS
USED AND NOT THE FULL DIAMETER.

IMPACT FORCE
1.
2.
3.

SHIPS ANCHORS
FISHING TRAWLS
SUBMERGED DEBRIS

SHIPS ANCHORS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO IMPACT

PIPELINES BURIED IN EXCESS OF 3.0 M BELOW THE
SEAFLOOR.
IF THE PIPELINE CAN NOT BE BURIED AND THE
POTENTIAL FOR FOREIGN BODY IMPACT IS HIGH, THE
USUAL PROCEDURE IS TO INCREASE THE PIPEWALL
THICKNESS OR SURROUND THE PIPE WITH PROTECTIVE
ROCK.

FORCE DIAGRAM
1.
2.
3.

ELEVATED PIPELINE
SURFACE OR PARTIALLY BURIED PIPELINE
BURIED PIPELINE

RECOMMENDED VALUES OF HYDRODYNAMIC

COEFFICIENTS (DNV 1981)

HYDRODYNAMIC COEFFICIENTS DEPENDS ON

1.
REYNOLDS NUMBER (RE = U D / )
2.
KEULEGAN - CARPENTER NUMBER (KC = UM T / D)
3.
PIPE ROUGHNESS (K/D)
4.
DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PIPE AND THE FIXED
BOUNDARY (E/D)

WHERE
D
:
E
:
T
K
U
UM

:
:
:
:
:

PIPE DIAMETER
CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE PIPE AND A
FIXED BOUNDARY
WAVE PERIOD
ROUGHNESS HEIGHT
FLOW VELOCITY
MAXIMUM ORBITAL PARTICLE VELOCITY
KINEMATIC VISCOSITY OF THE WATER

PIPELINE BURIAL FOR STABILITY

BURIED PIPELINES IN SHALLOW WATERS
ACTUAL DEPTH OF BURIAL DEPENDS ON:
1.
STORM FREQUENCY
2.
IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECT
3.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF
PIPELINE FAILURE.
PRESENT PRACTICE
1.
BURY ALL PIPELINES LOCATED IN WATER DEPTHS
UPTO 65 M.
2.
65 M IS A PRACTICAL ECONOMICAL LIMIT FOR
THE CONVENTIONAL JETTING PROCEDURES.

3.

SHOULD BE BURIED UNDER THE STORM BEACH

PROFILE.

4.

MINIMUM COVER OF 1.0 M FOR NORMAL SEA

BED & 0.80 M IN AREAS OF ROCK EXCAVATION.

5.
IN HARBOR AREAS OR DEEP WATER PORT
SAFETY ZONES, THE MINIMUM IS 1.25 M OF COVER
OR 0.65 M FOR ROCK EXCAVATED AREAS.
6.

COVER SHOULD BE INCREASED IF HIGH WAVES,

STRONG CURRENTS, INTENSE STORMS ARE
COMMON.

BURIED PIPELINES IN DEEP WATERS

1.

THE MAGNITUDE OF WAVE - INDUCED LIFT AND

DRAG FORCES IS NEGLIGIBLE.

2.

LOOK FOR:
DAMAGE FROM SUBAQUOUS SLIDES
TURBIDITY CURRENTS
EROSION
TRAWLING ACTIVITY
ANCHOR USAGE

GEOTECHNICAL DATA CAN BE EMPLOYED TO ASSESS THE

BURIAL DEPTH OR TRENCH STABILITY DURING
PIPELAYING OPERATIONS.
VERY IMPORTANT
CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT
AND SOIL CONDITIONS.

STABILITY CRITERIA WHEN THE SEABED IS PRONE TO

LIQUEFACTION
1.

FULLY AND PARTLY EXPOSED PIPELINE

WTOT.P < FB + FL
PIPELINE IS VERTICALLY INSTABLE
WTOT.P > FB + FL
PIPELINE IS STABLE, PROVIDED QSH < QRES.SH.ULT
2.
BURIED PIPELINE
WTOT.P > FB
PIPELINE IS STABLE, PROVIDED QSH < QRES.SH.ULT
WTOT.P < FB < WTOT.P + WSOIL
PIPELINE IS STABLE,

PROVIDED

NO

LIQUEFACTION

WTOT.P + WSOIL < FB

PIPELINE IS STABLE, PROVIDED QSH < QRES.SH.ULT
WHERE
WSOIL

WEIGHT OF OVERBURDENING
SOIL

WTOT.P

WEIGHT OF THE PIPELINE AND

CONTENTS

QSH OR QSH :

QRES.SH OR
QRES.SH

SHEAR FORCE IMPARTED TO

SOIL

SHEAR RESISTANCE OF SOIL

DUE TO APPLIED SHEAR FORCE

EQUILIBRIUM OF PIPELINES IN THE MARINE

ENVIRONMENT
FV = FW - FB - FL 0
FH = FD + FI - FP - FS - FX 0
but FV < FC
and /or
FV < FO

FACTOR OF SAFETY
WHY REQUIRED?
1.

TO COMPENSATE FOR LOADING CONDITIONS

UNKNOWN TO THE DESIGNER

2.

UNCERTAINTY IN THE MAGNITUDE OF THE

HYDRODYNAMIC COEFFICIENTS

3.

UNFORESEEN EVENTS
THE MINIMUM RECOMMENDED FACTOR OF SAFETY
FOR SUBMARINE PIPELINE IS 1.5.

STABILIZATION METHODS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

BARE PIPE RESTING ON THE SEA FLOOR

BALLASTED PIPE
PILE SUPPORTED PIPE
PIPE SADDLE
PIPE ANCHOR
JETTED -IN PIPE
BURIED PIPE - NATURAL BACKFILL
BURIED PIPE - ARMOR ROCK COVER
BURIED PIPE - CONCRETE COVER

Armor rock

Beam

Sea bed
Sea bed

Ballasted pipe

Pile

Pile supported pipe

Hold down strap
Concrete saddle
Sea bed

Sea bed

Pipe Saddle

Screw or
Explosive Anchor

Pipe Anchor

Stabilization methods for Exposed submarine pipeline

Sea bed
Trench wall

Natural fill
Buried pipe- Natural Fill

Jetted in pipe

Tremie concrete

Armor rock

Back fill
Bedding

Buried pipe- Armor Cover

Bedding

Buried pipe- Concrete Cover

Stabilization Methods for buried Submarine pipeline

BARE PIPE RESTING ON THE SEA FLOOR

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
1.
2.

LESS WAVE AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES

SOIL CONDITION PRECLUDE TRENCHING

CONDITIONS TO BE SATISFIED:
1.
2.
3.

THE NET DOWNLOAD OF THE PIPE > THE

BUOYANCY FORCE
THE SOIL STRENGTH MUST BE SUFFICIENT TO
PREVENT PIPE FROM SINKING INTO OCEAN
FLOOR.
THE PIPE WEIGHT ALSO MUST BE SUFFICIENT TO
RESIST BUOYANCY AND SLIDING FORCES.

MERITS
1.
2.

ECONOMICAL
EASY TO INSTALL

DEMERITS
1.
2.

WILL BE SUBJECTED TO SCOUR AND

ACCRETION OF SEA FLOOR SEDIMENTS.
LIABLE FOR MOVEMENTS DUE TO
MUDFLOW.

BALLASTED PIPE
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
1.
MODERATE TO STRONG EFFECT OF WAVES AND
CURRENTS
CONDITIONS AND DESIGN CRITERIA
1.

THE ARMOUR ROCK MAY BE PARTIAL OR FULLY

COVERED OVER THE PIPELINE, DEPENDS ON
THE INTENSITY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL
LOADS.

2.

IF THE ENVIRONMENTAL LOAD IS LESS, THEN

PARTIAL COVERING IS SUFFICIENT.

3.

IN THIS CASE, THE BUOYANCY AND LIFT FORCE

DUE TO WAVES AND CURRENTS MUST BE
COUNTERACTED BY THE VERTICAL DOWNLOAD

4.

THE POSSIBLE HORIZONTAL SLIDING OF THE

PIPE MUST BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE PASSIVE
RESISTANCE OF THE ROCK COVER.

5.

THE THICKNESS OF THE CONCRETE COVER

SHOULD BE INCREASED ACCORDING TO THE
ENVIRONMENTAL LOADS (FIG.3B).

6.

THE ARMOUR ROCKS MUST BE SIZED TO BE

STABLE AT MAXIMUM WATER PARTICLE
VELOCITIES AND ACCELERATIONS

MERITS
1.
ROCKS PROVIDES SOME PROTECTION FROM
FOREIGN BODY IMPACTS
2.
SCOUR POTENTIAL IS REDUCED BY THE
PRESENCE OF THE ROCK

DEMERIT
1.
SPECIAL CARE MUST BE TAKEN DURING ROCK
PLACEMENT TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE
PIPE.

PILE SUPPORTED PIPE

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
1.
2.

OCEAN FLOOR HAS INSUFFICIENT BEARING

CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THE PIPE
SIGNIFICANT DYNAMIC CHANGES IN THE SEA
FLOOR PROFILE.

CONDITIONS AND DESIGN CRITERIA

1.

BUOYANCY AND LIFT FORCE IS COUNTERACTED

BY THE DOWN LOAD OF THE PIPE AND PILE.

2.

THE DEPTH OF PENETRATION OF THE PILE AND

ITS SPACING ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE PIPE
SHOULD BE OBTAINED BASED ON THE DESIGN
UPLIFT FORCES

3.

THE HORIZONTAL DRAG AND INERTIA FORCES

WILL BE TRANSFERED THROUGH THE PILES
TO
THE SEA BED (FIG.3C).

DEMERITS
1.
2.
3.

4.

VERY EXPENSIVE
LARGE QUANTITIES OF DIVER TIME DUE TO
NUMEROUS UNDERWATER CONNECTIONS
THE PIPELINE SUSPENDED ABOVE THE OCEAN
FLOOR BETWEEN PIPE BENDS IS SUBJECTED
VIBRATION FORCES DUE TO VORTEX
SHEDDING
THE PIPELINE IS EXPOSED TO FOREIGN BODY
IMPACT.

PIPE SADDLE
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
1.

USED IN AREAS WHERE WAVE AND CURRENT

ACTIVITIES ARE MODERATE.

CONDITIONS AND DESIGN CRITERIA

1.

THE SADDLES MUST BE DESIGNED TO RESIST

OVERTURNING MOMENT CAUSED BY DRAG
FORCES.

THE

2.

THE SPACING BETWEEN THE SADDLES ALONG THE

LENGTH IS DETERMINED FOR THE DESIGN
FORCES

DEMERITS
1.

THE PIPELINES SUSPENDED ABOVE OCEAN

FLOOR BETWEEN PIPE SADDLES IS SUBJECTED TO
VIBRATION FORCES DUE TO VORTEX SHEDDING.

2.

THE PIPELINE IS ALSO EXPOSED TO FOREIGN

BODY IMPACT

PIPE ANCHOR
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
1.
THE SEA FLOOR IS ROCKY OR IN VERY HARD
CONDITIONS.
2.

WEAK SURFACE SEDIMENTS WHICH REQUIRES

DEEP PENETRATION OF ANCHORS TO FIRMER SOIL
(FIG.3E).

CONDITIONS AND DESIGN CRITERIA

1.

THE SPACING BETWEEN THE ANCHORS ALONG THE

LENGTH OF THE PIPE IS TO BE DESIGNED TO
TAKE CARE OF THE LIFT AND HORIZONTAL
FORCES AND BASED ON THE PULLOUT
CAPACITY OF
ANCHORS.

2.
THE IN SITU PULLOUT TESTS OF ANCHORS ARE
TYPICALLY REQUIRED TO VERIFY THE HOLDING
CAPACITY.

DEMERIT
1.

EXPOSED TO THE FOREIGN BODY IMPACT.

JETTING-IN PIPE
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
1.

SANDY SOIL (OR WHEN THE SURFACE

SEDIMENTS ARE EASILY LIQUEFIED BY HIGH
PRESSURE WATER JETS) (FIG.3F).

MERIT
1.

FORMATION OF TRENCH IS NOT REQUIRED.

DEMERIT
1.

CARE MUST BE TAKEN DURING JETTING AND

BURYING OPERATION, SINCE JETTING SLED CAN
DAMAGE PIPE COATING.

BURIAL PIPE - NATURAL BACKFILL

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
1.
2.

FAST SEDIMENT MOVEMENTS

OCEAN SEDIMENT IS ACCEPTABLE AS BACKFILL
MATERIAL.

MERIT
1.

ECONOMICAL

DEMERITS
1.
2.
3.

POSSIBILITY FOR JACKING UP OF THE PIPE.

NATURAL FILL IS WEAK IN STRENGTH AND IS
HENCE SUSCEPTIBLE FOR EROSION DURING
SEVERE WAVE ACTIONS.
POSSIBLE EXPOSURE OF THE PIPE AND DIRECT
WAVE ATTACK.

BURIAL PIPE - ARMOUR ROCK COVER

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION
1.

WAVE CLIMATE IS HOSTILE, LIKE SURF ZONES.

CONDITIONS AND DESIGN CRITERIA

1.

GOOD QUALITY BEDDING IS PREPARED FIRST

PIPE IS LAID ON IT.

2.

PIPE IS COVERED WITH QUALITY BACKFILL

MATERIALS AND COVERED WITH ARMOUR
ROCKS.
THE ARMOUR ROCK AND THE UNDERLYING
FILTER LAYER MUST BE SIZED TO PREVENT
EROSION OF PIPE BACKFILL AND BEDDING
MATERIAL BY WAVE IMPACT.

3.

AND

MERIT
1.
PREVENTS LIQUEFACTION OF THE SOIL,
2.
PREVENTS DIRECT WAVE ATTACK ON THE PIPE
(FIG.3H).
DEMERITS
1.

EXPENSIVE.

BURIAL PIPE - CONCRETE COVER

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION
1.
EXTREME WAVE FORCES AND FREQUENT
CYCLONE ACTIONS.
CONDITIONS AND DESIGN CRITERIA
1.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO PREVENT WASHOUT OF

CEMENT DURING CURING STAGES.

MERITS
1.

THE CONCRETE SLAB RECEIVES THE

ENVIRONMENTAL LOADS DUE TO WAVES AND
HENCE THE UNDERLYING PIPELINE IS
PROTECTED (FIG.3I).

DEMERITS
1

PLACING UNDERWATER CONCRETE IS A

DIFFICULT PROCESS.

2.
THE FUTURE ACCESS TO PIPELINE FOR REPAIR
PURPOSES IS RESTRICTED BY THE CONCRETE
BARRIER.
3.

THE HARDENING OF THE CONCRETE TOP MAY

INDUCE EROSION OF SEDIMENTS ADJACENT TO
CONCRETE.

CONCLUSIONS
1.

THROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF GEOTECHNICAL

AND HYDRODYNAMIC CHARACTERS

2.

ACCURATE ESTIMATION OF THE DESIGN

ENVIRONMENTAL LOADS

3.

LOCATION OF THE PIPE LINE (SURF ZONE OR

OFFSHORE DEEP WATERS)

4.

TYPE OF CARGO TO BE TRANSPORTED

(HAZARDOUS OR NON HAZARDOUS)

5.

FREQUENCY OF CYCLONE EFFECTS

6.

LIFE OF THE PROJECT

7.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE

8.

CAPITAL AND MAINTENANCE COSTS

9.

UNDERSTANDING THE MERITS AND DEMERITS OF

DIFFERENT STABILIZATION METHODS. A
METHOD SUITABLE FOR ONE SITE MAY NOT BE SUITABLE
FOR OTHER SITES.
10.

JUDGMENT BASED ON DETAILED SCIENTIFIC

STUDIES