Evaluation method for effect of tunneling on underground jointed pipelines

The soil settlement produced by tunneling has an inevitable effect on the neighbouring buried pipelines, which may cause joint rotation, leakage and even damage in serious cases. At present, the research methods for the response of jointed pipelines are complicated. Most of them require complex numerical calculation, in which the research on the influence of joint properties is not comprehensive enough. The obtained design charts only contain a few simple engineering conditions, thus resulting in the lack of practicality. In this study, the Winkler foundation model with an elastic foundation modulus formula under passive load is employed to study the influence of joint location and joint stiffness on pipeline response. Considering the theory of continuous pipelines, a simplified method is established to evaluate the influence of tunneling on the buried jointed pipelines in terms of the greenfield conditions and mechanical properties of joint and pipe section. Finally, the method for jointed pipelines is used to analyze some actual projects. The comparisons reveal that the proposed method can provide a preliminary risk assessment for engineering design.