Upheaval buckling of a pipeline with prop imperfection on a plastic soft seabed

Conventionally a pipeline resting on a prop tends to buckle upward under thermal loads, which is called upheaval pipeline buckling. To analyze the phenomenon, most previous studies have modeled the pipeline as a long heavy beam resting on a rigid seabed. However, the seabed may be very soft and uneven; consequently, the pipeline may penetrate into the seabed under thermal compressive forces and change its buckling mode. This study is concerned with the effect of seabed resistance on upheaval buckling of pipelines with prop imperfection. We find that the seabed resistance exerts a remarkable influence on the phenomenon of upheaval pipeline buckling.

► We have extended the analytical solution of upheaval pipeline buckling on the rigid seabed to the soft seabed.
► We analyzed the influence of seabed resistance on the stability of the heated pipeline.
► We analyzed the influence of seabed resistance on the maxim bending stress of the heated pipeline.