Grant: Alliance Grants

Buried pipes are a viable and economical means of transporting liquids and gases such as clean water, sewage, oil, and natural gas. However, the pipelines are often exposed to various geohazards, including differential ground movements resulting from earthquakes, landslides, fault movements, and other sources. It is essential to assess the performance of the pipelines exposed to the hazards to ensure pipeline safety. The applicant's research focuses on assessing the performance of buried pipelines subjected to geohazards using full-scale experiments and numerical methods for developing a pipe design method. However, the full-scale experiment has limitations in monitoring the ground responses near the pipe surface and modeling the pipeline networks. To this end, the collaborators in Japan evaluate the ground movements near the pipe surface from microscopic viewpoints using X-ray CT system and numerical analysis with the Distinct Element Method (DEM). They also employ centrifuge modeling to investigate the behavior of the buried pipe network and shaking table tests to examine the dynamic friction characteristics between the pipe and the surrounding soil. The proposed project would complement this work by conducting full-scale tests using the facility at Memorial University and finite element modeling. Axial and lateral ground movement tests will be conducted using thermoplastic and/or polyvinylchloride (PVC) water pipes commonly used in Canada under different burial conditions. Numerical modeling using Abaqus will be performed to interpret the test results. A graduate student and the applicant will visit Japan to conduct X-Ray CT scan tests representing the ground movement mechanism expected in their tests and to perform DEM analysis with the collaborators. Thus, various expertise will be combined in the proposed collaboration to advance knowledge and develop reliable methods for predicting pipe responses to ground movements. The research findings will contribute to developing resilient pipeline infrastructure for Canadians and, thus, minimize water loss due to pipe failure.