Numerical Modeling of Soil-Pipeline Interaction Mechanism Caused by Surface Subsidence due to Longwall Mining

In China, Surface subsidence caused by underground coal mining has affected the safe operation of pipelines in recent years. Take the coal mine in Shanxi section of the west-east gas pipeline as case study, numerical modeling was adopted to study the interaction mechanism of the soil-pipeline caused by longwall mining, and the numerical model was calibrated with the measurement data. The results reveal that the soil-pipeline interaction undergoes an evolution process from synchronization to separation during the subsidence process. The peak stresses on the pipeline at cross-sections occur generally above the centre of the corresponding subsidence basins at different stages of face advance, and the maximum stress on the pipeline appeared at about 150m above the centre of the subsidence basin as the face advances 300m.