Example 5.

2
Determine the minimum support height required to lay a 20 diameter subsea oil pipeline across an
existing 36 subsea gas pipeline operating at 6000KPa(abs) and 80
0
C without both lines interfering with
each other during operation. Also determine the distance between the crossing point and the point
where the pipeline touches down to the seabed. The minimum separation distance between the two
pipelines is 0.4m and the supports are to be placed 15 meters from the point where the oil pipeline
crosses the gas pipeline.
Solution
Outer diameter of crossing pipeline, D
o
=20 (0.508m), outer diameter of crossed pipeline, D=0.9144m,
Density of Steel, =7850 kg/m
3
, Density of Sea water,
w
=1025 kg/m
3
,Specified Minimum Yield Strength
of Steel, SMYS=448 MPa , Young Modulus, E=207 GPa, Acceleration due to gravity, g=9.81 m/s
2
, Wall
thickness of crossing pipeline, t=0.0128m, Internal diameter of crossing pipeline ,separation distance for
pipe crossing, d=0.4m,Design factor, f=0.6,operating temperature=80
0
C,ambient
temperature=18
0
C,poisson ratio,=0.3,coefficient of thermal expansion,=1.17x10
-5
/
0
C
Weight of steel of per unit length,
W
steel
= x g x (D
o
2
-D
i
2
) x

/4 = x g x (0.508
2
-0.4824
2
) x 7850/4 = 1533 N/m
Weight of water displaced per unit length,
W
buoy
= x D
o
2
x
w
/4= x (0.508)
2
x1025/4 = 2037 N/m
Submerged weight of crossing pipeline, W
sub
= W
steel
-W
bouy
= 1533-2037= -504 N/m
(Negative sign indicates that pipe is floating)
Height of underside of the pipeline at the span centre, H=d +D=0.4 +0.9144=1.3144 m
Moment of Inertia of crossing pipeline,
I= x (D
o
2
-D
i
2
) /64= x (0.508
2
-0.4824
2
) /64 =6.108x10
-4
m
4

Distance between crossing point and support point, X=15m (given in the question)
Distance from the crossing point to the touch down point, L
o
= (72xExIxH/W
sub
)
0.25
L
o
=(72x207x10
9
x6.108x10
-4
x1.3144/504)
0.25
= 66.5 m
Support Height above seabed,
Y= H-3H(X/L
o
)
2
+2H(X/L
o
)
3
= 1.3144-3x1.3144 (15/66.5)
2
+2x1.3144 (15/66.5)
3
= 1.144m
Therefore, the minimum support height is 1.144 meters and the separation between the crossing point
and touchdown point is 66.5 meters
STRESS CHECKS
Maximum allowable Stress,S
EQ
=fxSMYS=0.6x448=268.8MPa


Maximum Hoop Stress,
Hmax
=0.72xSMYS=0.72x448=322.6MPa

Maximum Longitudinal Stress,
Lmax
=0.9xSMYS=0.9x448=403.2MPa

Operational Hoop Stress,
H
=(PxD
o
)/(2t)=(6x0.508)/(2X0.0128)=119MPa

Longitudinal Stress,
L
=
H
-E (T
2
-T
1
)=(0.3x119)-{200x10
3
x1.17x10
-5
x(80-18)}=35.7-145.1=-109.4MPa

Total Von Mises Stress,S=(
L
2
+
H
2
-
L*

H
)
0.5
={(-109.4)
2
+(119)
2
-(-109.4x119)}
0.5
=198MPa

S<S
EQ
, hence the stresses on the 20 pipeline during operation are within the acceptable limits according
to ASME B31.8 and ISO 13623/DEP31.40.00.10