EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION AND NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF FREE SPANNING SUBMARINE PIPELINES

Seismic loading should be taken into account while constructing submarine pipelines in the seismic active zones. Dynamic model experiments simulating free spanning submarine pipeline were performed on a underwater shaking table. The factors including span, proximity from the seabed, support conditions at pipeline ends and different transmitting materials in the pipe are considered to analyze the dynamic response of the free spanning submarine pipelines based on the experimental results. The dynamic control equation of free spanning submarine pipeline is derived from the Morison equation and numerical analysis is carried out using finite element method. The results are shown to be in good agreement with experimental data.