New Method of Modeling the Behavior of Buried Steel Distribution Pipes Subjected to Reverse Faulting

Abstract

This paper proposes a new method for modeling the behavior of buried steel pipes under reverse faulting. The maximum soil–pipe interaction forces are determined using the results of detailed finite-element analyses that are validated through full-scale laboratory testing of 114.3 and 168.3-mm-diameter steel pipes buried in two different soil types under a reverse fault offset of .6 m. The detailed finite-element model is validated through pipe deformation, strain distribution, peak strains, and cross-section distortion. Furthermore, the load-displacement (q-z) curves for the vertical soil springs along with the dimensionless uplift factors are determined and a new formula is proposed. The pipe–soil interaction forces are validated and compared with previous studies and values suggested by different guidelines. The q-z relations for the uplift forces are found to be more flexible for sections close to the fault plane than are the sections away from the fault plane. Using the proposed model, a validated simple finite-element modeling technique is introduced to simulate the behavior of buried steel pipes under reverse faulting with required accuracy for engineering purposes.