Submarine Pipeline Analysis With an Elastic Foundation by the Finite Element Method

Abstract

This paper presents a procedure for solving the nonlinear differential equations of bending for pipelines suspended between a lay barge and the ocean floor using the finite-element method. In order to eliminate the usual difficulty of determining the suspended length, a discontinuous foundation modulus is introduced into the formulation to account for the interface condition where the pipe lifts off the ocean floor. Examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness, efficiency, and flexibility of the procedure, and it is concluded that the procedure should provide a useful tool enabling easy analysis of various schemes for pipelaying.