Numerical Analysis and Experimental Study on Seismic Coupling Response of Pipe-Soil System Under Bidirectional Seismic Excitation

Abstract

The seismic response of buried pipeline is significantly affected by the soil around the pipeline. In this study, a numerical analysis model of the pipeline and the soil around the pipeline is built, and the finite element numerical analysis of its seismic response law is conducted to address the problem of pipeline soil seismic coupling response. A shaking table test of the seismic response of buried pipeline under two-way seismic excitation is performed based on the developed two-way layered shear continuum model soil box. The peak strain response at the middle section of the pipeline grows fastest, the peak strain of the pipeline under non-uniform seismic excitation constantly exceeds that under uniform excitation, and the axial strain of the pipeline exhibits more sensitivity to earthquake than the bending strain, as indicated by the results of numerical analysis and shaking table test. The peak value of soil acceleration response under non-uniform excitation exceeds under uniform excitation. The displacement of soil increases with the height. The pipeline soil interaction becomes more intense under non-uniform excitation, and the relative movement between pipeline and soil becomes more significant. The seismic excitation more significantly affects the axial displacement of soil. The peak value of soil acceleration response varies from larger along the pipeline to larger along the axis with the increase of the loading grade. A slight difference exists between the peak value of axial and transverse acceleration response of the pipeline. The peak value of pipeline acceleration response declines in the axial direction than the peak value of soil acceleration response, whereas it rises in the transverse direction than the peak value of soil acceleration response, especially under non-uniform excitation. As revealed by the above results, the effect of bidirectional non-uniform seismic excitation on the lateral pipeline soil interaction is enhanced, and soil is more seriously damaged.