Vibration Strength of Pipelines

Damage of offshore oil-and-gas pipelines results in significant pollution of the marine environment. Extent of pipeline damage during an earthquake depends on a number of factors: the seismic force and the seismic waves’ propagation direction, the geological and groundwater conditions, the operation and process duties, the pipeline design and the joints, the pipeline material’s characteristics, and the extent of pipeline wear. Requirements to the structural reliability of subsea pipelines are much stricter than those set to underground and overhead pipelines. An offshore pipeline is in the combined stressed condition. It is characterized by tension of the pipeline walls caused by pressure pulsations and cyclic bending due to the vibrations. This chapter tackles the vibration analysis issues. The main goal is to present to the industry specialists the principles of vibration assessment as applied to the offshore pipelines in seismic regions and to outline solutions of the vibration problems. The dynamic calculations of the offshore pipelines based on the natural frequency analysis are represented in the industrial construction standards only