[ Structures ]

A buried pipeline (regardless of what it’s transporting) is, in essence, an engineered structure.  The elements of a structure (we usually think of a bridge or a building) apply equally to a buried pipeline.

There are stresses, and compression and tension also play a role.  The concepts of columns and beams, with restrained and unrestrained ends, are applicable to pipelines as well as bridges.

The materials used to make the structure matter too: often steel, rarely concrete (for gases anyway), more use of plastic is happening now.  The behaviour of the material in the structure influences the pipeline structure lifecycle.

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PECS GE004: Structures