Dynamic soil-pipeline interaction induced by high-speed traffic under environmental effects: two computational approaches

Abstract

The paper deals with two computational approaches for the unilateral contact problem of dynamic soil-pipeline interaction induced by high-speed moving loading sources. Unilateral contact effects due to tensionless soil capacity, soil elastoplastic-fracturing behaviour and gapping, which may be significant, are strictly taken into account, as well as environmental effects decreasing the soil resistance. The first numerical approach, called inequality approach, is based on a double discretization, in space by the Finite Element Method combined with Boundary Element Method, and in time, and on nonconvex optimization. By convolutional procedures, the number of the problem unknowns is significantly reduced and a nonconvex linear complementarity problem is solved in each time-step. The second numerical approach, called incremental approach, uses the Ruaumoko structural engineering software. Both presented methods are useful in geotechnical praxis for the resistant construction, design and control of buried pipelines against man-made soil vibrations as well as seismic excitations.