Experimental and numerical investigations of buckle interaction in subsea pipelines

Abstract

Experimental and finite element results for buckle interaction in subsea pipelines are presented in this paper. Experimental results for buckle propagation and pure bending of pipes are presented first followed by buckle interaction results. A finite element model, verified against the experimental results, is used to develop buckle interaction envelopes. The analysis is conducted using both transient and steady state conditions. The results highlight the vulnerability of subsea pipelines to buckle interaction particularly in deep waters.