Experimental studies of the impact of waves’ loading on the underwater pipeline

This work is devoted to the results of experimental studies on the impact of wave loading on a buried pipeline. Currently, there is an active development of large deposits located on the shelf and the northern rivers (Ob Bay, Yenisei), from where delivery to the places of consumption should be made. The most convenient type of transportation is the pipeline. Its route often crosses water areas, the size of which can reach five kilometres or more. Such dimensions allow the occurrence of a wave load acting on the pipeline. The issue of pipeline stability is especially relevant for designers in order to avoid accidents during operation. Nowadays, the regulatory documentation does not address this issue. Only the force of Archimedes is considered, without taking into account the wave action. The causes and process of moving the pipe up in the ground are difficult to theoretically analyze, therefore, it is mainly studied by empirical methods. In this work, the dependence between the wave load and the buoyancy force is established experimentally. The series of experiments was conducted with changing wave parameters and pipeline depth. This article will be useful for submarine pipeline designers.