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Centrifuge modeling of PGD response of buried pipe

Michael O'Rourke1, Vikram Gadicheria2 and Tarek Abdoun1

1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
2. nHance Engineering Solutions, Hyderabad India

Abstract: A new centrifuge based method for determining the response of continuous buried pipe to PGD is presented. The physical characteristics of the RPI's 100 g-ton geotechnical centrifuge and the current lifeline experiment split-box are described: The split-box contains the model pipeline and surrounding soil and is manufactured such that half can be offset, in flight, simulating PGD. In addition, governing similitude relations which allow one to determine the physical characteristics, (diameter, wall thickness and material modulus of elasticity) of the model pipeline are presented. Finally, recorded strains induced in two buried pipes with prototype diameters of 0.63 m and 0.95 m (24 and 36 inch) subject to 0.6 and 2.0 meters (2 and 6 feet) of full scale fault offsets and presented and compared to corresponding FE results.

Keywords: Earthquakes, Buried pipe, Permanent Ground Deformation, Centrifuge Models, Fault Crossings, Lifeline Earthquake Engineering.