Submarine pipeline lateral instability on a sloping sandy seabed

Ocean-current induced pipeline on-bottom stability on a sloping sandy seabed involves a complex interaction between the hydrodynamic loading, the untrenched pipeline and the neighboring soil. In this study, a newly-designed pipe–soil interaction facility and a flow–structure–soil interaction flume have been utilized for full-scale physical modeling of the pipeline instability on a sloping sand-bed, including the downslope instability and the upslope instability. Unlike the pipeline lateral stability on the horizontal seabed, an initial lateral-soil-resistance is developed and the static-instability might be triggered for the sloping seabed. According to dimensionless analyses, an ultimate lateral-soil-resistance coefficient is proposed to describe the interaction of the pipe with the sloping sand-bed. Experimental results indicate that sand-bed slope angle, pipe submerged weight and end-constraints have much influence on pipe on-bottom stability. No matter for the upslope instability or the downslope instability, the corresponding lateral-soil-resistance coefficient for a sloping sand-bed is larger than that for a horizontal sand-bed.

► Full-scale physical modeling of pipe lateral instability on a sloping seafloor.
► Fifty-six series of pipe–soil interaction tests and comparison with large flume tests.
► Proposed an ultimate lateral-soil-resistance coefficient.
► Main influential factors for pipe instability on sloping sand-bed.