Integrated services for planning, building and operating infrastructure projects and systems
Integrated services for planning, building and operating infrastructure projects and systems
Seismic risk analysis of buried pipelines assesses the risk probability and impact of an earthquake in a given geographical area. This process is therefore performed to calculate and, in turn, minimise risk.
Earthquakes cause thousands of deaths and cost the economy billions annually. Past earthquakes have shown the vulnerability of pipeline systems, which are part of the critical infrastructure. For instance, after the Kobe earthquake in Japan in 1995, the water supply in some regions was interrupted for almost two months. The risk of seismic loss can be mitigated by site-specific seismic hazard and adequate seismic design.
Due to the interaction between soil and pipeline, the seismic impact on buried pipelines is different from free-field structures. Buried pipelines are exposed to different seismic impacts: wave propagation, fault rupture displacement, soil liquefaction, landslides, soil compaction. Stresses are mainly caused by displacement differences along the pipeline and by soil structure interaction. This is why analysis to assess the seismic risk of buried pipelines is crucial.
As a capable third-party partner with interdisciplinary teams, your business can benefit from our years of experience and specialist expertise in the earthquake risk field. Our team’s international activities and participation in regulatory working groups and committees means we are able to transfer state-of-the-art methods into practical applications. A partnership with TÜV SÜD not only helps you to meet national and international requirements but also ensures your business meets relevant safety-related aspects and protects its investments as a result of seismic impact.
Through our seismic risk analysis of buried pipelines, your business will see benefits such as:
TÜV SÜD provides customer- and project-specific solutions covering the whole range from seismic hazard analyses to seismic design of buried pipelines. We perform site-specific seismic hazard analyses and assess the displacement impact on the pipeline. Our calculations are based on nonlinear 3D finite element models and focus on representative pipeline segments. Our seismic risk analysis of buried pipelines services includes:
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