Buried pipelines in sloping ground and potential buckling during operation

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Oil and gas pipelines generally traverse over a large distance through various ground conditions, from relatively flat areas to sloping grounds such as crossing hills, mountain ridges and rivers. Ground deformation/slope failure and upheaval buckling during operation pose a major threat to the structural integrity, safety and operability of the pipelines. Canada has a network of approximately 115,000 km of underground energy transmission pipelines that operates every day to transport oil and natural gas. The current guidelines recommend using simplified approaches, which have some limitations. In the proposed project, numerical analysis and laboratory tests will be performed for a better understanding of these complex mechanisms to develop improved methods for assessing the response of pipelines in the sloping ground and that might experience buckling. Two PhD and one Master's candidates will be supported through this research grant. The outcomes of the research will be sought by stakeholders including engineering service companies, operators, oil and gas companies, regulatory agencies and academia to address constraints (e.g. technical, economical or logistical) and satisfy accepted risk and safety targets (e.g. societal, environmental).