Do soft soil layers reduce the seismic kinematic distress of onshore high-pressure gas pipelines?

Abstract Onshore high - pressure gas pipelines constitute critical infrastructure that usually cross seismic prone regions and are vulnerable to Permanent Ground Deformations (PGDs) due active faults. In design, it may not be feasible avoid fault rupture areas various technical, economical topographic reasons. Moreover, the presence of soil layers affects PGDs resulting from a tectonic fault, which in turn alter demand on pipeline. The current study investigates numerically impact soft kinematic distress onshore pipelines. For this purpose, decoupled numerical modeling approach is adopted, consisting two separate finite element models for simulation response pipeline distress, respectively. Soil non linearities taken into account utilizing Mohr Coulomb constitutive model with isotropic strain softening. An extensive parametric analysis performed considering different faulting mechanisms dip angles, as well geometry mechanical properties. Consequently, maximum absolute values both tensile compressive strains correlated intensity level (i.e., terms bedrock offset associated earthquake magnitude via simple relationships). paper concludes set design charts tables preliminary These predict reasonable accuracy deformations, strains, magnitude, type, angle, sand varying overlying layer thickness.