Abstract
Gas and oil transmission pipes unavoidably traverse areas with potentially compressible soils such as Peat or Muskeg. These soils are prone to excessive displacements as a result of natural hazards or man-made activities such as excavation, fill placement or equipment crossings. Excessive soil disturbance in areas with potentially unstable soil could result in compromising the integrity of the pipes.
This paper discusses the challenges related to design, construction, and operation of pipes in potentially compressible soils such as peat and organic soils in British Columbia. It provides mitigation measures to manage the pipe concerns related to these soils. Among the design challenges discussed are geotechnical characterization of potentially unstable soil sites and special pipe trench design and foundation alternatives to minimize pipe settlement and localized stresses. To demonstrate the impact of adjacent soil fill or embankment loading on pipe integrity, soil deformation finite element analyses are carried out for various scenarios representing different unstable soil profiles, surface loading configurations, and offsets from the pipe alignment. The paper also provides integrity management measures for managing potential concerns for pipe operating in organic soil and peat environment.
