SAGE Profile will offer new tools for performing Upheaval Buckling Analyses

At OMAE2015 in St. John’s (CAN), Prigiarto Hokkal Yonatan presented a paper introducing a new technique to assess the risk of upheaval buckling (UHB). This new methodology uses a backfill soil spring (BFSS) attached to the top of the pipe for representing the uplift resistance provided by the backfill soil on top of a buried pipeline. This tool will be available in the brand new SAGE Profile 3.0 to be released in the summer of this year!

Abstract: Numerical Simulation Of Upheaval Buckling Using Intelligent Backfill Soil Spring.

Prigiarto Hokkal Yonatan, Filip Van den Abeele and Jean-Christophe Ballard, Fugro GeoConsulting Belgium

Designing the cover height of buried pipelines to prevent them from buckling requires a method that can thoroughly and realistically model the phenomenon. This paper introduces a new technique to assess the risk of upheaval buckling (UHB) by using backfill soil springs (BFSS) to represent the uplift resistance provided by the backfill soil on top of a buried pipeline. This paper investigates the pre-buckling pipeline behavior related to UHB and highlights some of the key parameters governing the analysis. UHB assessment based on a case study was carried out and the results were then compared with those obtained from force-equilibrium methods generally used in the industry. The comparison shows that UHB assessment can be performed more rigorous using BFSS than using force-equilibrium methods. Therefore, using BFSS for UHB assessment improve the reliability in cover height design.

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Behind the curtains: SAGE Profile 3.0 Pioneer Edition has been released!

Since 2014, the entire SAGE Profile team has been working on the development of SAGE Profile 3.0, a major upgrade that will feature a new graphical user interface and a wide variety of new capabilities.

This new version will offer a seabed modification module, allowing to fill gaps in the seabed profile or cut steep slopes for free span rectification. In addition, we have introduced an intelligent backfill soil spring that enables to predict the susceptibility of buried pipelines to upheaval buckling. Our new trenching module will allow simulating the process of cutting the seabed, lowering down the pipeline in the trench, and subsequently backfilling. Finally, the new release will offer the ability to model fully bonded pipe-in-pipe systems.

The development of our brand-new SAGE Profile v3.0 has reached its final stage as the Pioneer Edition has now been released. As we strive to shape SAGE Profile according to our customer’s needs and challenges, working hand in hand with our clients is a key aspect of our development strategy. The Pioneer Edition of SAGE Profile 3.0 has therefore been distributed to some of our clients who, in the light of their experience, will provide us with valuable feed-back. Do not hesitate to contact us should you also want to be one of our Pioneers!

SAGE Profile 3.0 will be released in the summer of this year…… Stay tuned!

SAGE_Profile_3_Splash_Screen

SAGE Profile v3.0 splash screen

Meet us at the Offshore Pipeline Technology Conference (OPT2015) in Amsterdam

OPT2015

The SAGE Profile team will be present at the 38th edition of the Offshore Pipeline Technology Conference  (25th and 26th February 2015, Amsterdam) and preceding seminar on Pipeline Global Buckling Design (24th February).

During the seminar, we will discuss an integrated numerical approach to design offshore pipelines susceptible to lateral buckling as well as numerical simulation of upheaval buckling using “intelligent” backfill soil springs.

Join us at the Fugro booth for a prime-time demo of the new SAGE Profile 3.0, and to meet our geotechnical engineers and pipeline consultants. We look forward to meeting you there!

Behind the curtains: SAGE Profile 3D 3.0 is under construction!

During 2014, the entire SAGE Profile team has been working hard on the development of SAGE Profile 3D 3.0, a major upgrade that will feature a brand new graphical user interface and a wide variety of new  capabilities.

This new version will offer a seabed modification module, allowing to fill gaps in the seabed profile or cut steep slopes for free span rectification. In addition, we have introduced an intelligent backfill soil spring which enables to predict the susceptibility of buried pipelines to upheaval buckling. Our brand new trenching module allows simulating the process of cutting the seabed, lowering down the pipeline in the trench, and subsequently backfilling. The use of object contact allows modelling seabed sleepers, pipeline crossings or concrete mattresses. In addition, the new release offers the ability to model fully bonded pipe-in-pipe systems. The brand new graphical user interface has been designed in a wizard-type approach, to make the learning curve even gentler.

The SAGE team is currently testing and validating this new version, which will be released in summer 2015. Below, you can take a peek preview of what’s on our drawing board… Stay tuned!

SAGE_Profile_3_0_Screenshot

SAGE Profile v3.0 brand new graphical user interface