Role of geotechnical engineering in assuring the integrity of buried pipeline systems

Abstract

Buried pipeline systems form a major part of global infrastructure that threads the human-made physical environment, contributing to the health, safety, and welfare of communities. Satisfactory performance of these pipeline systems, therefore, has become a key factor in assuring a sustainably built environment since any significant disruption to them often translates into undesirable impacts on economies or the living conditions of citizens. Geotechnical engineering has a dominant role to play in ensuring satisfactory performance of buried pipelines. Adequate knowledge of site-specific soil and groundwater conditions is critical to the design of pipelines, as well as ensuring good predictions of their field performance. Quantification of anticipated geotechnical hazards and evaluation of their impacts are other important considerations in assessing the long-term performance of buried pipelines. The interaction between buried pipes and surrounding soil is complex. Therefore, approaches ranging from those based on simplified assumptions to sophisticated numerical modeling techniques need to be employed in solving soil-pipe interaction problems. The overall goal is to reduce the risk of damage to buried pipelines from geotechnical hazards. A spectrum of options such as isolation from the hazard, accommodation of the hazard, or mitigation of the hazard using ground improvement can be considered in this regard.