Experimental Testing Conducted in the Course of the GIPIPE Project and Their Numerical Simulation

The experimental results of the GIPIPE project are presented in this chapter, supported by numerical simulations from rigorous finite element models. In the first part of the chapter, the experiments conducted at CSM facilities, in Sardinia, are described in detail. They comprise 3 tests on axially-loaded buried pipes, 3 tests on transversely-loaded buried pipes and 4 (outdoor) tests on a unique large-scale (25-m-long) special-purpose device that simulates lateral ground-induced action on a pipeline due to landslide or strike-slip fault movement. In the second part, some innovative tests performed in Delft University of Technology are described. The test rig is indoor and is composed by two frames, one moving with respect to the other, representing transverse action on the pipeline, whereas the soil is simulated with a set of collapsible rings of appropriate stiffness and strength. The effects of the fault crossing angle that causes compression to the pipeline are also examined. Finally, the small-scale tests conducted at NTU Athens in a special-purpose soil box are presented. The box simulates vertical differential motion due to fault rupture or soil subsidence. In all experiments, finite element calculations are performed, simulating the tests, with the purpose of elucidating the pipeline performance subjected to ground deformations.