Protection Control Scheme and Evaluation of Effects on Pipeline Crossing beneath Landslide Area

Abstract

Long-distance natural gas transmission pipelines are planned to pass through the mountain area of midwest China, portions of which are threatened by severe landslide hazards. Therefore, the protection plan and control scheme for pipelines traversing and/or exiting landslide areas are of increasing interest and importance. A typical landslide in western China was used as an example to implement the strategy and evaluate the safety for a typical underground pipeline crossing the landslide area. The investigation and resulting control measures are based on the engineering geological study, and the numerical (finite-difference) interactive model of the pipeline and landslide, including the effect of soil arching. The effect of key design factors, including the spacing of antisliding piles, is determined by three-dimensional finite-difference numerical modeling. This technique also calculates the stability coefficient by use of the strength reduction method and calculation of stress and displacement fields. The results show that the recommended deployment of the antisliding piles can dramatically improve stability by reducing the effect of the landslide, thereby maintaining the displacement and stress of the pipeline within acceptable limits.