The role of wave induced pore pressures in causing instability of pipelines buried in sand

This thesis contains the results of an experimental investigation conducted to ; 1) evaluate the effect of wave loading on the shear strength of a cohesionless seabed, and 2) relate this response of the seabed to the problem of pipeline flotation. Tests were conducted to study the effect that various pipeline and soil properties had on the stability of buried pipeline sections that were exposed to the same simulated wave loading conditions. Experimental results indicate the inability of present theory to accurately predict the porewater pressure response in a seabed due to wave loading. The response of the buried pipeline sections to the simulated wave loading arc chown as a function of depth of burial, pipeline specific gravity, and soil conditions. Methods are presented , based on experimental results,in attempts to predict pipeline flotation.