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Non-Linearity Aspects in the

Design of Submarine Pipelines
Atd. Civiele Techniek
TH Delft
ir. M.L. Fernandez
juni 1981
nr. 138102
Non- Linearity Aspects in the Design of Submarine Pipelines
Prepared for The ~ 9 8 1 European Seminar Offshore Oil
and Gas Pipeline Technology, London, February 1981
By: M,L. Fernandez
Department of Civil Engineering
Delft University of Technology
The 1981 Europeanseminar
Offshore Oil and Gas Pipeline Technology
London, February 1981
Non-Linearity Aspects in the Design of Submarine Pipelines
by Mario L. Fernandez *
INTRODUCTION
"As far as the propositions of mathematics
refer to reality, they are not certain ..
and as far as they are certain, they do
not refer to reality". A.E.
An arbitrary a t t ~ m p t has been made to classify and discuss some
non-linearity aspects related to design, construction and operation of
submarine pipelines.
Non-linearities usually interrelate and take part of a comprehensive
design, making difficult to quantify their individual influence or
sensitivity within the general project. For example, geometric
non-linearity on marine pipelines is a very important aspects for
design, with diTect implications to material non-linearity and other
phenomena. Codes of practice and engineers to achieve simplicity without
compromise in safety, credibility and economy may evaluate how far a
situation or design may be linearized or schematized. Probable to give
the basis for common usage or. quasi-quantitative or/and qualitative
methods.
With more and more offshore activity the importance and interest for a
better understanding and solution to problems found in a limited number
!k Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
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of submarine pipelines have increased. Such problems: pipe protection
against impact loads, creep and pipe stability, scour, pipe settlement,
soil liquefaction, pipe spans and vibrations, pipe restrains, fatigue
(concrete weight and steel pipe), buckling (prevention;
occurence; repairs)., welds, construction methods (delays, tie-ins,
maintenance, etc.), ecological effects (marine grown, pipe leakage, etc.),
etc.. Some of these problems may be related to neglected or ignored

We may classify or study non-linearities on offshore projects in two
levels: a general and a specific, for our case, submarine pipelines.
With no pretentions, the general level of non-linearities for an
offshore project may .be seen as follows:
1. External influence, environment
2. Internal influence, design criteria.and boundary conditions
3. Simulation model, tools for solution and design
External influence to the offshore project. Non-linearities may
additionally be affected by the following conditions:
- Recording, meters and process of measurements
- Forecasting, process technique, quantity and quality of information
- Linearization and schematization of data (use of constants)
Sometimes, either from lack of information or with the intention to
simplify a problem, we may tend to forget the complexity of the sea, and
probable introduce an error or mislead into the design. Some of the
non-linearities with external influence are:
Variation of water.properties with increase of depth; currents at sea,
velocity profile distribution and separation of boundary layer,
classification and. source of current velocities; seabed configuration,
soil classification and properties, sediment transport, etc.
The internal influence or definition of the problem is of foremost
importance in the analysis of an offshore project to obtain a correct
solution. Non-linearities may be affected by the following
conditions:
- Schematization of the physical problem
- Quality of information or data
- Linearization of pipe material properties.
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Without the proper boundary conditions and representation of the physical
problem the solution may not reflect the original phenomena. For example,
even with the best of the intentions in (6), the presented results do not
reflect an offshore pipeline during laying. By failing to define the
physical problem, on this paper (6) are violated almost entirely the four
principles or conclusions presented to define the installation of
pipelines by the laybarge method .at the
11
1980 European Seminar - Offshore
Oil and Gas Pipeline Technology", paper "Theory and Practice of Deepwater
Pipe Laying". However, the results in (6) may be seen as an interesting
"qualitative" analysis and contribution to understand the importance and
influence on design of non-linear elasticity.
Simulation Model, tools for solution and design. The interest in offshore
may be measured by the increased amount of publications on different
offshore subjects.in- addition to the growing activities, new developments
and research programs. Better understanding and. improvements on design
and offshore phenomena may be. seen fromphysicaLand mathematical model
results.
From the literature we can learn of development of new techniques and
often., is found and published the importance of terms earlier regarded
as small, linear or constant, probable for simplicity they were
neglected or linearized. In the process of simulation different
non-linearities may be linearized:
- Type of physical or mathematical model
- Methodology, approach of solution
- Evaluation of results (resolution and accuracy)
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From mathematical models a recent and important contribution to the
design and understanding of submarine pipelines is the use of Theory of
Rods (1). With the help of rod theories (8) geometric non-linearities of
submarine pipelines may be clearly studied. With accuracy and simplicity,
which can not be done for a great number of non-linear technical theories,
large deflection and twist (material and geometric torsion, often
neglected in the literature) are considered, further the physical problem
can include three-dimensional non-linear elasticity, well defined
hydrostatic loads and any boundary condition. Geometric non-linearity in
submarine pipelines may be found:
- During laying operation with a lay barge, overbend and sagbend
- Tie-ins, including second-end connection
Suspended risers, OTEC, production, etc.
- Tow techniques, etc.
Sometimes mathematical models may have neglected some basic non-linear
2
principles, so do physical models (2). Euler number (E = pv ) hardly has
p
been taken into.account to simulate deep water conditions (hydrostatic
pressure). For example, most hydrodynamic and morphologic parametel:'s used
for design and analysis of pipe stability, resting on the seabed, may have
not been checked deep water conditions.
The purpose. of this paper is to discuss some specific aspects related to
in submarine pipelines, but as we have discussed, they
are close related to general offshore non-linearities.
Keeping that in mind, non-linearities in submarine pipelines may be
classified as follows:
1. Seawater properties. Only external influence.
2. Pipe stability at seabed. Internal influence and simulation.
3. Pipe installation. Internal influence and simulation.
Non-linearities in seawater properties, regardless recording and forecast
technique, are mainly influenced by the water depths:
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a. Density, salinity and electrical conductivity
b. Temperature gradient
c. Viscosity. Function of sea. temperature and hydrostatic pressure (water
depth), e.g. At 5C in 100m water depth there is a non-linear
increase of 50% in seawater viscosity.
Pipe stability at seabed. The analysis normally is based on design
parameters, mostly from models and some prototype measurements. Hence, it
is very important to analyse the recording or origin of these design
parameters (from field or/and laboratory conditions). Non-linearities to
take into consideration are:
a. Currents, velocity profile and classification: ocean streams, tidal
currents,. wind drift currents and orbital velocity from waves. From
pipe stability, we may consider:
- Steady currents, important_in vortex shedding
- Unsteady currents (including their forecast)
- Special currents, .from: swell, hurricanes, tsunamis, etc.
b. Boundary.layer separation, probable,.from the seabed and from the
p i p e l i n e . ~ After considering the effects from:
- Seabed texture and configuration
- Pipeline .characteristics
c. Seabed configuration and soil propel:'ties, related to pipe stability,
characteristics and hydrodynamic forces:
~ Pipe settlement
- Burial and trenching
- Sediment transport, sand waves and scour
- Liquefaction (waves and earthquakes)
- Pipe spans .. Vortex shedding, pipe fatigue (incl. concrete) and
resonance.
Pipe Installation, Lay Barge _Method and Tow Techniques. The more important
aspects to be always considered are the geometric non-linearity (large
deflection & twist) and the external hydrostatic pressure. Situations
where non-linearities may be found are:
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a. Lay Barge Method.
a.l. Overbend. Probable, including elasticity and static/
dynamic loading.
a.2. Sagbend. Validity of small and large deflection theory. Buckling.
a.3 . Seabed. Installation. and operational stresses. Influence of soil
restrains and geometric non-linearity.
b. Tow Techniques, . for more information see ( 3)
b.l. During tow. Analysis and control.
b.2. Final positioning. Tie-ins and second-end connections. Installation
and operating conditions.
REFERENCES
1. Antman, S. S .., "Theory o:f Rods
11
, Encyclopedia of Physics , Vol. IIa/2,
Springer-Verlag, 1972, pp. 641-703.
2. Bourguignon, G. P. and Van de Velde, P .A. ,
11
Waterbouwkundige
Constructies, bijzondere onderwerpen", Afd. Civiele Techniek,
T.H.-Delft, mei 1976.
3. Fernandez, M.L., ."Tow Techniques for Marine Pipeline Installation",
ASME paper No. 81-Pet-30, presented at the ETCE, Houston, 1981.
4. Graham, D.S. and Machemehl, J.L., "Appropriate Force Coefficients for
Ocean Pipelines", ASME paper. No. 80-Pet-61.
5. "Methoden voor Golfvoorspelling", T.A.W., Nederland
1980.
6. Kimura, T., Idogaki, S., Takada, K. and Fujita, Y., "Experimental and
Analytical Studies of the Elastoplastic Behavior of Offshore Pipelines
During Laying", OTC paper No. 3737, 1980.
7. Kolkman,. p, A., "Development of Vibration-Free Gate Design: Learning
from Experience and Theory'', IAHR/IUTAM Symposium, Karlsruhe, Sept.
1979.
8. Konuk, I. , "Solution of Two-Point Boundary Value Problems Associated
with Submarine Pipelines", University of Southampton, PhD Thesis,
submitted Jan. 1981.
9. G., Andreuzzi, F., Giannessi, F., Jurina, L. and Taddei, f.,
"Unilaterial Contact, Elastoplasticity and Complementarity with
Reference to Offshore Pipeline Design", Computer Methods in Applied
Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 17/18, North Holland, 1979, pp.
469-495.
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10. Schlichting, H., "Boundary-Layer Theory", McGraw Hill, 7th ed., 1979.
11. "Snelheidsveld in golven, Inve'ntarisatie van metingen in model en
natuur", TOW/Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Aug. 1980.
12. Verruijt. A., "De losse grondslagen van stabiliteitsberekeningen in
de geotechniek, studiebijeenkomst, Stabiliteit van Taluds, T.H.-Delft,
Feb. 1980.