Geotechnical characterization of muskeg soils for engineering design of buried energy pipelines

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The energy industry is a key driver of the Canadian economy, and pipelines play a vital role in transporting oil and gas to local and international markets. A very large proportion of the oil and gas pipelines is buried below ground and extends over large distances that have highly variable topography and geotechnical conditions. It is in everyone's best interest to ensure that pipelines are safe and secure - to ensure our health and quality of life, to protect the communities and environment, and to promote economic growth and value creation. Over 1.5 million square kilometres of the Canadian landscape is covered with muskeg soil which is soft in stiffness and weak in strength; many of the energy pipelines, including those operated by one of the key private-sector partners of this proposal, are located in muskeg soils. With the increased attention to pipeline integrity with a collective aim "towards zero incidents", assurance of the structural integrity and safety of buried pipeline systems in muskeg soils often face challenges due to operational loads and environmental hazards. As a result, there is a strong need to advance our understanding of the behaviour of muskeg (organic) soils and the associated response of pipelines buried in such soils. With this in mind, a research program will be undertaken to: (i) develop reasonable/optimal approaches to characterize the highly variable mechanical response of muskeg soils; (ii) develop a model to simulate the soil-pipe interaction for pipes buried in muskeg soils; (iii) verify/calibrate the developed soil-pipe interaction model to justify its suitability for engineering evaluations. Highly qualified personnel will be trained during the course of the project, thus adding expertise to the pipeline geotechnical engineering sector in Canada. The research findings will be of direct high-value applicability to the industry for the enhancement of pipeline integrity and safety. The investigation on this scientifically interesting challenge would lead to developing potential engineering design guidelines, in turn contributing to the pipeline sector at large.**