Performance of Buried Gas Distribution Pipelines Subjected to Reverse Fault Movement

In the current work, the results of full-scale laboratory testing of 114.3 and 168.3 mm in diameter steel gas distribution pipes buried at different depths and in two different soil types under a reverse fault offset of 0.6 m are presented and discussed in terms of longitudinal strain distribution, pipe deformation, and cross-section distortion. Results show that the pipe deformation and accordingly its failure mode, and soil failure planes change with increasing burial depth. It was also found that severe cross-section distortion occurs at about 2.3 times the strain limit for onset of wrinkling suggested by various guidelines.