Research on the effectiveness of measures to reduce frost heave in oil and gas pipelines

China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Corporation, Langfang, Hebei Province 065000, China

^* Corresponding author’s e-mail: wenchunlong@cppe.com.cn

Abstract

This article is based on a gas pipeline project in a high-altitude area to conduct quantitative analysis of engineering measures and safety assessment. Analysed the impact of soil frost heave under different conditions on pipelines, and compared the changes in pipeline stress before and after taking measures, thereby demonstrating the feasibility and treatment effect of engineering measures. Based on the commonly used technical measures in pipeline engineering, three common measures were selected for analysis: increasing pipeline wall thickness, using coarse-grained soil for replacement and filling of pipe trenches, and adding insulation to pipelines. The results show that when the wall thickness of the pipeline increases from 8.7 mm to 15.9 mm, the thickness of the insulation layer increases from 5 cm to 8 cm, and the thickness of the replacement soil layer increases from 300 mm to 500 mm, all can effectively improve pipeline deformation and reduce the maximum stress value. The effectiveness of various measures in preventing frost heave has been verified, providing a theoretical basis for the selection of key parameters such as pipe wall thickness, insulation layer thickness, and replacement thickness in pipeline design in permafrost areas.