Using finite element method in the processof strength calculation for the pipeline supports in above-groundarea of "Zapolyar'e — NPS "PUR-PE" oil pipeline

• Main Authors: Surikov Vitaliy Ivanovich, Varshitskiy Viktor Mironovich, Bondarenko Valeriy Vyacheslavovich, Korgin Andrey Valentinovich, Bogach Andrey Anatol'evich
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow State University of Civil Engineering (MGSU) 2014-01-01
• Series: Vestnik MGSU
• Subjects: main oil pipelines; supports of aboveground main oil pipelines; pipeline system "Zapolyar'e-Pur-pe"; finite element method
• Online Access: http://vestnikmgsu.ru/files/archive/issues/2014/1/ru/8.pdf

The present article studies a procedure of calculating the strength of pipeline support constructions of the above-ground oil trunk pipeline system «Zapolyar'e — oil pumping station «Pur-pe». The calculations of the supports stress-strain state are performed with the use of computer complex Ansys v13, which applies the finite element method. The article provides a short description of the construction of fixed, linear-sliding and free-sliding supports of the oil pipeline of above-ground routing, developed for the installation in complex climatic and geologic conditions of the far north. According to the operation specification for design — the support constructions have to maintain the resistance power and bearing capacity under the influence of the pipeline stress without sagging and considering the possible sagging of the neighboring support. The support constructions represent space structures with a complex geometry. Together with the complex geometry, contacting elements are present in the construction of the supports. There is also an interaction of the pile foundation and the nonhomogeneous foundation. The enumerated peculiarities of the construction and operating conditions of the supports considerably complicate the strength calculations by engineering methods. The method of numerical modeling (finite element method) used in the article for the analysis of the supports’ operation under the stress is widely applied at the present time for calculations of space structures with a complex geometry. For the first time, while performing the supports’ strength calculations, the article considers the mutual deformation of the support, foundation grill and pile foundation in the ground, thus making it possible to consider real operation of the construction altogether. The main development stages of the calculation model “support — pile foundation — ground” in ANSYS, calculation and testing of the static strength of the support constructions are discussed in the article. The authors provide the calculation examples of the supports' stress-strain state for unfavorable combination of loads with maximum bending moment for a fixed support and maximum vertical force and maximum longitudinal-lateral displacement of the top part for a free-sliding support. The use of modern approaches to the operation modeling of the support constructions allows avoiding the excessive conservatism in estimating the stress-strain state of the supports and allows developing the construction optimal for metal intensity, while meeting the requirements for allowable stresses according to the actual normative documents.