Inline and Vertical Wave Force Variation due to Burial of Submarine Pipeline in Random Wave Fields
Marine pipelines encounter significant dynamic forces due to the action of waves. In order to reduce such forces, they are buried below the seabed. The wave force on the pipeline at any depth of burial for the given hydrodynamic condition depends on the properties of the sea bed soil. Physical model is used for assessing the hydrodynamic force on the pipeline for a wide range of random wave conditions, for different burial depths and in four types of soils. It is found that for all the four soil types, the horizontal force reduces with increase in depth of burial, whereas the vertical force generally increases up to certain depth of burial, mainly due to the significant change in the magnitude as well as the phase lag between the pore water pressures in the vertical direction. Among the soils, well graded soil is good for half burial of pipeline, since the least vertical force occurs for this soil. On the other hand, uniformly graded and low hydraulic conductivity soil attracts the maximum vertical force for half burial. On the other hand, such soil is good for full burial or further increase of burial, since it attracts less vertical force when compared to the other soils. The results of this study will help the submarine pipeline design engineers to select the minimum safe burial depth in a range of cohesion-less soil.