Frost heave and pipeline upheaval buckling

• Published in: Canadian Geotechnical Journal
• Main Authors: Palmer, Andrew C, Williams, Peter J
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2003
• Subjects: Civil and Structural Engineering; Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology; Arctic; permafrost
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/t03-044; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/t03-044

Frost heave of soils varies greatly with the type of soil and the moisture and thermal conditions of the ground. Consequently, the initially level trench-bottom profile of a pipeline can become uneven. Upheaval buckling is a well-known phenomenon in buried pipelines: it can lead to large upward movements of a pipeline and is caused by the interaction between the longitudinal compressive force present during operation and overbend irregularities in the profile. This paper examines the possibility that frost heave and upheaval buckling can interact adversely and threaten the security of Arctic pipelines.Key words: Arctic, buckling, frost heave, permafrost, pipelines.