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Dynamic Response Analysis on Oil and Gas Shared Suspension Pipeline Bridge
under Seismic Loading

Leibin Zuo1, Guofu Zhang2 and Yandong Liu3

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1 Engineer, Pipeline Crossing Department, China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering

Corp; No. 146, Heping Road, Langfang City, Hebei 065000; Tel: 0316-2075474;
Fax: 0316-2074313; Email: zuoleibin@cnpc.com.cn
2 Engineer, Pipeline Crossing Department, China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering
Corp; No. 146, Heping Road, Langfang City, Hebei 065000; Tel: 0316-2077249;
Fax: 0316-2073756; Email:zhangguofu@cppe.com.cn
3Engineer, Pipeline Crossing Department, China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering
Corp; No. 146, Heping Road, Langfang City, Hebei 065000; Tel: 0316-2075754;
Fax: 0316-2073756; Email:liuyandong@cppe.com.cn

ABSTRACT

Suspension pipeline bridge is a significant pipeline acrossing type. In particularθ

when the pipeline goes through mountain and canyon terrain, suspension pipeline
bridge is often used. For parallel pipelines of the oil and gas, shared across the
project is inevitable. In this paper, it takes a oil and gas shared suspension pipeline
bridge which the main span is 360 meters as the research object, use the finite
element numerical simulation method to analyze the dynamic response under seismic
loads. According to the analysis results, it determines the weak link of the structure
under the seismic and evaluates seismic performance of the structure.

KEYWORDS

Seismic; Suspension Pipeline Bridge; Numerical Simulation; Time history;

Pipelines of oil and gas

INTRODUCTION

With the developing construction of long-span pipelines for oil and gas, suspension
pipeline bridge, which is a significant pipeline acrossing type, has served as vital
links in many natural trunk lines across mountain and canyon terrain areas.
Suspension pipeline bridge contains two main suspension cables to support vertical
gravity loads (Figure 1 and Figure 2). Beginning with the completion of the first
suspension pipeline bridge, constructed over Red River in Texas, America in 1926,
diameter and span length has been increased due to the improvement of designing
technology and manufacturer crafts (Qiang Xue, 1995). Parallel pipelines of oil and

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gas have become an inevitable trend, considering the traits of long-span pipelines.
Because aproject with pipeline crossing is a high risk, parallel pipelines with shared
crossing is the preferred solution.
For the bridge structure, the damage caused by the seismic event, in terms of quantity
and extent, is much higher than other natural disasters; a pipeline crossing project as
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a form of general bridge is faced with the same problem. In recent years, since
seismic disaster has obtained more and more attention, the security of an oil or gas
pipeline under seismic cannot be ignored, particularly in areas of high seismic
intensity. To continue, pipeline crossing projects with multiple pipes have brought
new challenges to the seismic resistance performance of suspension pipeline bridge.
An example of a suspension bridge with two pipelines of oil and gas is involved in
this thesis, using the finite element numerical simulation method to analyze the
dynamic response under seismic loads, which can provide a reference for future
similar projects.

Figure1. Suspension pipeline bridge schematic

Figure2. Pipeline suspension bridge project

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PROJECT OVERVIEW OF SUSPENSION PIPELINE BRIDGE

The example suspension bridge is a single span and twin towers Earth-anchored
suspension bridge. The span of the bridge is 360 meters. The deck of the bridge is a
truss structure, which has a standard unit each 5m. Each standard unit is welded by
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steel tube truss and two units are linked by high-strength bolts. The bridge deck
carries two pipelines, situated with the gas pipeline above and the oil pipeline
below (Figure 3). The deck truss is 2.6 meters wide and 2 meters high. Pipeline is
installed on the vertical beams (joists) through rolling bearings. Beam are connected
with the sling by the pole (channel). The towers, which are 40 meters high, are
constructed by concrete.
The diameter of the oil pipeline is 813 millimeters and the diameter of the gas
pipeline is 1016 millimeters.

Figure 3. Oil and gas pipeline layout

According to the geological data of the crossing project site area a seismic wave is
composed. ( Figure 4).

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Figure 4. Curves of earthquake

FINITE ELEMENT MODEL

Before finite element numerical simulation of the structure, the simplifications must
be performed and assumptions must be made. Focus will be primarily the following
aspects: Constraint displacement of bridge tower, side of fixed support and the other
side of the hinge support; the seismic loading to take in transverse and longitudinal
bridge design;
Considering the geometric nonlinearity, without considering the material nonlinearity;
wind cable pre-tension is imposed in accordance with a design of 20% cable force.
Additionally, consider the impact of a rolling bearing connection and the structural
stiffness. Assume that vertical displacement between the pipe and bridge is coupled.
The structure was analyzed by ANSYS (large general-purpose finite element
software). The cable system unit used was a link10 unit. The beam and pylon unit
used a beam188 unit. Quality unit used mass21 units and the pipe unit used pipe59
units. The finite element model is shown as Figure 5 and Figure 6.

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STATIC FORCE ANSLYSE OF SUSPENSION BRIDGE

Figure 5. The overall finite element model

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STATIC FORCE ANSLYSE OF SUSPENSION BRIDGE

Figure 6. The detailed finite element model

DYNAMIC RESPONSE ANALYSIS

In order to analyze the impact of the inherent damping of the pipeline bridge
structure to the calculations, three damping ratios such as high(0.05) ,middle(0.02)
and low (0.002) were used to calculate and contrast ,with a computation time of 40s.

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Calculation of internal forces. The internal force calculation results are shown in
Figure 7 to Figure 9 and Table 1. In turn, said that the tensile force of side span main
cable, the tensile force of main span main cable , the tensile force of slings, the
tensile force of wind cable, the tensile force of wind slings, the moment of the middle
span of oil pipeline, the moment of the middle span of gas pipeline, the shear of the
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middle span of oil pipeline, the shear of the middle span of gas pipeline, the moment
of the 1/4 span of oil pipeline, the moment of the 1/4 span of gas pipeline, the shear
of the 1/4 span of oil pipeline, the shear of the 1/4 span of gas pipeline and the
moment of bridge bottom.

6 6
x 10 x 10
9.5 10
9 9

8.5 x 104 8 x 106

90 10 20 30 40 1.5 0 10 20 30 40

8 1
7 0.5 x 105
10000 0 10 20 30 40 50 10 20 30 40

5000 0

0 x 106 -5 x 104
10 10 20 30 40 -2 0 10 20 30 40

0 -3
-1 x 104 -4 x 105
-2 0 10 20 30 40 50 10 20 30 40

-3 0

-4 x 106 -5 x 104
10 10 20 30 40 00 10 20 30 40

0 -2
-1 x 104 -4 x 107
00 10 20 30 40 10 10 20 30 40

-5 -1
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40

Figure 7. The time curve of structural internal force (Damping ratio 0.05)

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6 7
x 10 x 10
10 1.2
9 1

8 x 104 0.8 x 106

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10 0 10 20 30 40 1.5 0 10 20 30 40

8 1
6 0.5 x 106
10000 0 10 20 30 40 10 10 20 30 40

5000 0

0 x 106 -1 x 104
20 10 20 30 40 -2 0 10 20 30 40

0 -3
-2 x 104 -4 x 106
-2 0 10 20 30 40 10 10 20 30 40

-3 0

-4 x 106 -1 x 104
20 10 20 30 40 00 10 20 30 40

0
-2 x 105 -5 x 107
10 10 20 30 40 20 10 20 30 40

0 0

-1 -2
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40

Figure 8. The time curve of structural internal force (Damping ratio 0.02)

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7 7
x 10 x 10
1.5 1.5
1 1

0.5 x 104 0.5 x 106

10 0 10 20 30 40 20 10 20 30 40
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8 1
6 x 104 0 x 106
20 10 20 30 40 20 10 20 30 40

1 0

0 x 106 -2 x 104
50 10 20 30 40 00 10 20 30 40

0 -5
-5 x 104 -10 x 106
00 10 20 30 40 20 10 20 30 40

-5 0

-10 x 106 -2 x 105

50 10 20 30 40 10 10 20 30 40

0 0
-5 x 105 -1 x 107
10 10 20 30 40 50 10 20 30 40

0 0

-1 -5
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40

Figure 9. The time curve of structural internal force (Damping ratio 0.002)

Table 1. Calculation result statistics of structural internal force

Tensile Tensile
Tensile
force of Tensile force of Tensile Moment of
Calculation force of
side span force of wind force of bridge
condition side span
main sings main wind sings bottom.
main cable
cable cable
Dampin Min 8.63E+06 8.83E+06 7.24E+04 5.74E+05 4.84E+03 -6.77E+06
g ratio
Max 9.50E+06 9.97E+06 8.25E+04 1.08E+06 8.63E+03 4.56E+06
0.05
Dampin Min 8.40E+06 8.51E+06 6.89E+04 5.10E+05 4.39E+03 -1.04E+07
g ratio
Max 9.80E+06 1.03E+07 8.66E+04 1.14E+06 9.25E+03 7.90E+06
0.02
Dampin Min 7.93E+06 7.11E+06 6.21E+04 4.36E+05 3.84E+03 -2.47E+07

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g ratio
Max 1.04E+07 1.18E+07 9.48E+04 1.25E+06 1.02E+04 2.19E+07
0.002

According to the calculation of statistical results, the following conclusions can be

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drawn: The minimum tensile stress of the cable system is proportional to the
structure damping ratio, while the maximum tensile value of the cable system is
inversely proportional to structure damping ratio. In other words, if the damping ratio
is relatively small, the structure of the tensile stress changes in amplitude. The
moment of tower bottom with the damping ratio is inversely proportional to the
change. Compared to a general bridge, the pipeline bridge is very flexible. Therefore,
the designer of the pipeline bridge structure should be concerned about the amplitude
of the structure stress change under the earthquake load. It’s necessary to increase the
damping value appropriately.

Calculated results of deformation. Under the earthquake load, the deformation of

pipelines and main beam will occur at same time. But as they are not fully
constrained, it is necessary to calculate the deformation of the pipeline under the
earthquake load. Pipe deformation calculation results are shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Displacement of critical node in the y direction˄ ˄m˅

oil pipe in the oil pipe in the gas pipe in the gas pipe in The top
Calculation
middle of 1/4 of middle of the 1/4 of of bridge
condition
cross-section cross-section cross-section cross-section tower
mi -3.68E-0
Damping -2.47E-01 -1.30E-01 -2.48E-01 -1.32E-01
n 3
ratio
ma -1.62E-0
(0.05) 9.38E-02 5.33E-02 9.17E-02 5.09E-02
x 3
mi -4.51E-0
Damping -3.67E-01 -1.67E-01 -3.69E-01 -1.68E-01
n 3
ratio
ma -7.96E-0
(0.02) 2.19E-01 1.02E-01 2.17E-01 9.96E-02
x 4
mi -6.10E-0
Damping -6.00E-01 -2.01E-01 -6.01E-01 -2.02E-01
n 3
ratio
ma
(0.002) 4.89E-01 1.69E-01 4.87E-01 1.64E-01 6.82E-04
x

According to the results of pipeline crossing calculations in the position of maximum

displacementˈthe displacement limit of pipeline bearing should be evaluatedin this
position to guarantee pipeline will not fall from the pedestal under seismic loading.

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Fundamental frequency calculation results. On the mode of cable-suspended

structure calculation, there is a certain influential pipeline on the vibration frequency
of the structure. Especially considering the role of the Z-type compensatorˈthe
vibration frequency of the structure is changed .
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Table 3. Compensation segment effect on fundamental frequency

Antisymmetric Symmetric
Symmetric Antisymmetric Symmetrical
vertical vertical
scoliosis scoliosis reverse
bending bending
No
compensatio 0.168 0.205 0.258 0.350 1.314
n segment
compensatio
0.165 0.201 0.252 0.339 1.213
n segment

CONCLUSION

Through comparison of internal forces with displacements in similar sites with

different damping ratios, the relatively large effects of structural damping ratio on
seismic response of bridges was exhibited. The smaller the damping ratio was, the
more notable the earthquake response. Therefore, the designer should take measures
to improve the structural damping. Earthquake response mainly to low-level modal
vibration caused by small structural dynamic responseˈcable suspended structure is
partial compliance, and resistance performance is good. Due to influence of pre-pull
power of the wind cableˈthe main beam and pipe displacement is relatively small.
Pipeline compensator impact on the vibration frequency of the structure, it should be
considered in the calculation of the seismic.

REFERENCES

Qiang Xue.(1995). The design Introduction of Pipeline bridge, Natural gas and
oil ,Volume 12, Phase II, 27̚31

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