Buckling response of offshore pipelines under combined tension and bending

Offshore pipelines have to withstand combined actions of tension and bending during deepwater installation, which can possibly lead to elliptical buckle and even catastrophic failure of whole pipeline. A 2D theoretical model initially proposed by Kyriakides and his co-workers which carried out buckling response analysis of elastic-plastic tubes under various load combinations, is further applied to investigate buckling behavior of offshore pipelines under combined tension and bending. In association with practical pipe-laying circumstances, two different types of loadings, i.e., bent over a rigid surface in the presence of tension, and bent freely in the presence of tension, are taken into account in present study. In order to verify the accuracy of the theoretical model, numerical simulations are implemented using a 3D finite element model within the framework of ABAQUS. Excellent agreement between the results validates the effectiveness of this theoretical method. Then, this theoretical model is used to study the effects of some important factors such as load type, loading path, geometric parameters and material properties etc. on buckling behavior of the pipes. Based upon parametric studies, a few significant conclusions are drawn, which offer a theoretical reference for design and installation monitoring of deepwater pipelines.