Seismic performance of buried continuous pipelines subjectedto permanent surface deformations

Buried Buried pipelines are of critical importance both environmentally and socio-economically, as they transport essential resources such as water, natural gas, and oil that sustain daily life. These pipelines are installed underground for economic, aesthetic, and safety reasons; therefore, ensuring their protection against severe damage during natural hazards such as earthquakes is both important and necessary. Earthquakes can cause damage to buried pipelines through various mechanisms, primarily transient seismic wave propagation and permanent ground movements. Ground movements may arise from several factors, including lateral spreading induced by soil liquefaction, ground displacements associated with different types of faulting, and landslides resulting from slope instability. Such movements can induce large deformations in localized sections of the pipeline and pose a significant damage potential. For this reason, the behavior and resilience of buried pipelines must be accurately investigated. Studies focusing on the seismic resilience of buried pipelines play a vital role in minimizing the destructive effects of natural disasters and ensuring the uninterrupted operation of critical lifeline systems. The development of advanced numerical models capable of accurately simulating the behavior of buried pipelines under ground deformations is therefore a crucial objective from both engineering and societal perspectives. Based on these requirements, within the scope of this thesis, buried continuous pipelines were modeled in the SAP2000 environment using both lineer and nonlineer analysis approaches. The deformations of these pipelines subjected to permanent ground deformations induced by strike-slip fault ruptures and associated loading conditions were systematically investigated.