NG-18-165-R01 Model for Intervention Decision Making Process in Pipeline Movement Situations

In certain situations, frost heave, that settlement, landslides, mining subsidence, lowering, or flooding may cause movement that induces longitudinal stresses in a pipe which may be large enough to warrant intervention to relieve the stress. There is a range of options available to a pipeline operator when faced with a potential pipeline movement. The decision regarding which option(s) to pursue should be based upon an objective assessment of risks and costs. This work proposes a model that leads to unambiguous, consistent, and justifiable responses in pipeline movement situations, formulated in terms of the economic trade-offs present in intervention decisions.