Satellite-Based Monitoring of Slope Movements on TransCanada’s Pipeline System

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregg O’Neil ◽  
Alan Samchek
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Pipeline System ◽  
Research Committee ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Slope Movements ◽  
Proactive Approach ◽  
Differential Interferometry ◽  
Sar Imagery ◽  
Pipeline Failures

TransCanada owns and operates over 38,000 km of pipeline throughout North America, which cross over 3,300 slopes and 1,200 watercourses. Ground movements on slopes at river crossings are an important pipeline hazard across Canada and especially within the Alberta system. These movements have led to several past pipeline ruptures and the development of a relatively extensive slope monitoring program. Historically, ground movement impacts are an industry-wide problem. The results of a 1998 study by the Gas Research Institute reported that external force damage from natural forces, including ground movement, was responsible for approximately 12 percent of all incidents reported on U.S. onshore pipelines between 1985 and 1994. Of all natural force incidents, ground movement accounted for approximately 29 percent of the total, on average. Furthermore, of all fires or explosions resulting from pipeline incidents, ground movements were reported responsible for about 5 percent of the total. In a similar study of Alberta pipeline failures and incidents between 1980 and 1997 (EUB, 1998), ground movement was the cause of 56 ruptures, or 3.5 percent of the total. Until recently, monitoring of the progress of slope movements was reactive and undertaken in a traditional fashion, using primarily slope inclinometers and/or ground surveys. Recently, however, TransCanada has adopted a proactive approach for the management of ground movements. Consistent with the management of other pipeline hazards, such as corrosion, ground movements are cast in a risk-based framework. The application of DInSAR technology, Differential Interferometry applied to satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, fits well within the proactive approach and has proven successful in measuring ground movements on ROW slopes to sub-centimetre accuracy. In 2000, a Pipeline Research Committee International (PRCI) study was carried out on a TransCanada Right of Way (RoW) that compared conventional slope indicator readings with DInSAR technology and proved the capability of the technology. TransCanada has begun to use DInSAR technology in this program of monitoring Alberta slopes. Typically, TransCanada monitors slope movements at 53 sites with frequency of readings between bi-annually and 4 times per year using conventional methods. Since 2001, 14 slopes on the TransCanada system have been instrumented using DInSAR methods and monitoring of movements using interferometric methods is continuing.

scholarly journals Integration of Satellite InSAR with a Wireless Network of Geotechnical Sensors for Slope Monitoring in Urban Areas: The Pariana Landslide Case (Massa, Italy)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2534
Author(s):  
Andrea Ciampalini ◽  
Paolo Farina ◽  
Luca Lombardi ◽  
Massimiliano Nocentini ◽  
Veronica Taurino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Temporal Evolution ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Slope Instability ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Slope Movements ◽  
Multi Temporal ◽  
Slow Moving ◽  
Slope Monitoring

Slow to extremely slow landslides in urban areas may cause severe damage to buildings and infrastructure that can lead to the evacuation of local populations in case of slope accelerations. Monitoring the spatial and temporal evolution of this type of natural hazard represents a major concern for the public authorities in charge of risk management. Pariana, a village with 400 residents located in the Apuan Alps (Massa, Tuscany, Italy), is an example of urban settlement where the population has long been forced to live with considerable slope instability. In the last 30 years, due to the slope movements associated with a slow-moving landslide that has affected a significant portion of the built-up area, several buildings have been damaged, including a school and the provincial road crossing the unstable area, leading to the need for an installation of a slope monitoring system with early warning capabilities, in parallel with the implementation of mitigation works. In this paper, we show how satellite multi-temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (MT-InSAR) data can be effectively used when coupled with a wireless sensor network made of several bar extensometers and a borehole inclinometer. In fact, thanks to their wide area coverage and opportunistic nature, satellite InSAR data allow one to clearly identify the spatial distribution of surface movements and their long-term temporal evolution. On the other hand, geotechnical sensors installed on specific elements at risk (e.g., private buildings, retaining walls, etc.), and collected through Wi-Fi dataloggers, provide near real-time data that can be used to identify sudden accelerations in slope movements, subsequently triggering alarms. The integration of those two-monitoring systems has been tested and assessed in Pariana. Results show how a hybrid slope monitoring program based on the two different technologies can be used to effectively monitor slow-moving landslides and to identify sudden accelerations and activate a response plan.

Integrity Management of Ground Movement Hazards

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Yi Wang ◽  
Don West ◽  
Douglas Dewar ◽  
Alex McKenzie-Johnson ◽  
Millan Sen
Keyword(s):  
Management Program ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Tensile Failure ◽  
Weld Strength ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Decision Points ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Girth Welds

Ground movements, such as landslides and subsidence/settlement, can pose serious threats to pipeline integrity. The consequence of these incidents can be severe. In the absence of systematic integrity management, preventing and predicting incidents related to ground movements can be difficult. A ground movement management program can reduce the potential of those incidents. Some basic concepts and terms relevant to the management of ground movement hazards are introduced first. A ground movement management program may involve a long segment of a pipeline that may have a threat of failure in unknown locations. Identifying such locations and understanding the potential magnitude of the ground movement is often the starting point of a management program. In other cases, management activities may start after an event is known to have occurred. A sample response process is shown to illustrate key considerations and decision points after the evidence of an event is discovered. Such a process can involve fitness-for-service (FFS) assessment when appropriate information is available. The framework and key elements of FFS assessment are explained, including safety factors on strain capacity. The use of FFS assessment is illustrated through the assessment of tensile failure mode. Assessment models are introduced, including key factors affecting the outcome of an assessment. The unique features of girth welds in vintage pipelines are highlighted because the management of such pipelines is a high priority in North America and perhaps in other parts of the worlds. Common practice and appropriate considerations in a pipeline replacement program in areas of potential ground movement are highlighted. It is advisable to replace pipes with pipes of similar strength and stiffness so the strains can be distributed as broadly as possible. The chemical composition of pipe steels and the mechanical properties of the pipes should be such that the possibility of HAZ softening and weld strength undermatching is minimized. In addition, the benefits and cost of using the workmanship flaw acceptance criteria of API 1104 or equivalent standards in making repair and cutout decisions of vintage pipelines should be evaluated against the possible use of FFS assessment procedures. FFS assessment provides a quantifiable performance target which is not available through the workmanship criteria. However, necessary inputs to perform FFS assessment may not be readily available. Ongoing work intended to address some of the gaps is briefly described.

Implementing a Geohazard Integrity Management Program: Statistics and Lessons Learned Over 15 Years

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex J. Baumgard ◽  
Tara L. Coultish ◽  
Gerry W. Ferris
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Proactive Approach ◽  
Oil Pipelines ◽  
Pipeline Networks ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Pipeline Failures ◽  
Program Challenges

Over the last 15 years, BGC Engineering Inc. has developed and implemented a geohazards Integrity Management Program (IMP) with 12 major pipeline operators (consisting of gas and oil pipelines and of both gathering and transmission systems). Over this time, the program has been applied to the assessment of approximately 13,500 individual hydrotechnical and geotechnical geohazard sites spanning approximately 63,000 km of operating pipelines in Canada and the USA. Hydrotechnical (watercourse) and geotechnical (slope) hazards are the primary types of geohazards that have directly contributed to pipeline failures in Canada. As with all IMPs, the core objectives of a geohazard management system are to ensure a proactive approach that is repeatable and defensible. In order to meet these objectives, the program allows for varying levels of intensity of inspection and a recommended timescale for completion of actions to manage the identified geohazards in accordance with the degree of hazard that the site poses to the pipeline. In this way, the sites are managed in a proactive manner while remaining flexible to accommodate the most current conditions at each site. This paper will provide a background to the key components of the program related specifically to existing operating pipeline systems, present pertinent statistics on the occurrence of various types of geohazards based on the large dataset of inspections, and discuss some of the lessons learned in the form of program results and program challenges from implementing a geohazard integrity management system for a dozen operators with different ages of systems, complexity of pipeline networks, and in varied geographic settings.

An Emerging Methodology of Slope Hazard Assessment for Natural Gas Pipelines

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Joe Zhou ◽  
Bill Liu ◽  
Gregg O’Neil ◽  
Moness Rizkalla
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Hazard Management ◽  
Slope Movements ◽  
Natural Gas Pipelines ◽  
Site Investigations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ranked List

TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. (TransCanada) operates approximately 37,000 km of natural gas gathering and transmission pipelines. Within the Alberta portion of this system there are almost 1100 locations where the pipeline(s) traverse slopes, primarily as the line approaches and exits stream crossings. In the past, the approach to managing the impact of slope movements on pipeline integrity has been reactive; site investigations and/or monitoring programs would only be initiated once the slope movements were sufficiently large so as to easily observe cracking or scarp development. In some cases these movements could lead to a pipeline rupture. To move to a proactive hazard management approach and to optimize the maintenance expenditure, TransCanada has developed a new slope assessment methodology. The objective of this methodology is to establish a risk-ranked list of slopes upon which maintenance decisions can be based. Using only internal and public information on site conditions as input to predictive models for rainfall-ground movement and pipe-soil interaction, a probability of pipeline failure can be generated for each slope. Estimates of risk using a consequence-matrix approach enabled the compilation of a risk-ranked list of hazardous slopes. This paper describes this methodology, and its implementation at TransCanada, and presents some of the results.

Estimating the Influence of Natural Hazards on Pipeline Risk and System Reliability

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Porter ◽  
Clint Logue ◽  
K. Wayne Savigny ◽  
Fiona Esford ◽  
Iain Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
System Reliability ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Injury Death ◽  
Ground Conditions ◽  
Service Disruption ◽  
Pipeline Failures ◽  
Pipeline Design ◽  
Design Construction

Natural hazards (also known as ground movement or geohazards) can cause pipeline failures, with consequences ranging from injury/death, environmental impact, and property damage, to lengthy service disruption and a failure to achieve delivery targets. In North America and western Europe, pipeline failure resulting from natural hazards are typically rare (but costly) events. However, where difficult ground conditions have not been properly accounted for in pipeline design, construction, and operation, natural hazards may have an overriding influence on pipeline risk and reliability. These issues are discussed, and a framework for estimating the influence of natural hazards on pipeline risk and system reliability is introduced.

Management of Ground Movement Hazards: An Overview of a JIP

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Yi Wang ◽  
Don West ◽  
Doug Dewar ◽  
Alex Mckenzie-Johnson ◽  
Steve Rapp
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Hazard Management ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Strain Design ◽  
Hazard Avoidance ◽  
Actual Field ◽  
Girth Welds

Abstract Ground movements such as landslides, subsidence, and settlement can pose serious threats to the integrity of pipelines. The consequences of a ground movement event can vary greatly. Certain types of ground movements are slow-moving and can be monitored and mitigated before a catastrophic failure. Other forms of ground movements can be difficult to predict. The most effective approach could be hazard avoidance, proactive means to reduce strain demand on pipelines, and/or building sufficiently robust pipeline segments that have a high tolerance to the strain demand. This paper provides an overview of a Joint Industry Project (JIP) aimed at developing a best-practice document on managing ground movement hazards. The hazards being focused on are landslides and ground settlement, including mine subsidence. This document attempts to address nearly all major elements necessary for the management of such hazards. The most unique feature of the JIP is that the scope included the hazard management approach often practiced by geotechnical engineers and the fitness-for-service assessment of pipelines often performed by pipeline integrity engineers. The document developed in the JIP provides a technical background of various existing and emerging technologies. The recommendations were developed based on a solid fundamental understanding of these technologies and a wide array of actual field experiences. In addition to the various elements involved in the management of ground movement hazards, the JIP addresses some common misconceptions about the adequacy of codes and standards, including: • The adequacy of design requirements in ASME B31.4 and B31.8 with respect to ground movement hazards, • The adequacy of linepipe standards such as API 5L and welding standards such as API 1104 for producing strain-resistant pipelines, • The proper interpretation of the longitudinal strain design limit of 2% strain in ASME B31.4 and B31.8, and • The effectiveness of hydrostatic testing in “weeding out” low strain tolerance girth welds.

An integral solution of the electromagnetic seismograph equation

1960 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-465
Author(s):  
R. E. Ingram
Keyword(s):  
Differential Equation ◽  
Green’S Function ◽  
Green's Function ◽  
Integral Solution ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Angular Movement ◽  
Electromagnetic Seismograph

ABSTRACT In investigating the response of an electromagnetic seismograph to various ground movements it is advantageous to have the solution of the differential equation as an integral. This is done by finding the Green's function, f(s), for the particular instrument. The angular movement of the galvanometer is then θ(t)=q∫0tf(s)x″(t−s)ds where x(t) is the ground movement and prime stands for the operator d/dt. It is sufficient to find one function, F(s), with dF/ds = f(s), to give the response to a displacement test, a tapping test, or a ground movement.

Vulnerability of Buried Pipelines to Landslides

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Ferris ◽  
Sarah Newton ◽  
Michael Porter
Keyword(s):  
Ground Movement ◽  
Buried Pipelines ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Vulnerability Model ◽  
Cause Of Failure ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Pipeline Failure ◽  
As Stress ◽  
Pipeline Failures ◽  
Landslide Movement

The movement of a mass of rock, debris or earth down a slope is a landslide, which in the pipeline industry is often referred to as ground movement. Landslides continue to cause pipeline failures throughout the industry, sometimes as the singular cause of failure and in others cases as a contributing factor to failures (such as stress corrosion cracking on slopes). Landslides can originate on slopes above a pipeline and cause impact loads; they can originate below a pipeline and cause unintended spans; and they can encompass the ground crossed by a pipeline, which can lead to high compressive (or tensile) strains and pipeline buckling. This paper focuses on the latter scenario. Similar to the approach recently outlined for watercourses [1], the term ‘vulnerability’ refers to the conditional probability of pipeline failure given that landslide movement spatially impacts a pipeline. This paper presents the development of a statistical and judgment-based vulnerability model for pipeline crossings of slopes that are subject to landslides that can be used to rank the relative importance of slopes at a screening level of assessment. The model is based on case histories where this type of landslide scenario caused pipeline failures (defined as holes, leaks and ruptures), or buckling of pipelines that resulted in the need for immediate repairs. Vulnerability has two main uses: on its own to help prioritize large numbers of slope crossings for further investigation; and, once combined with estimates of the probability of landslide movement, to provide a probability of pipeline failure estimate that can be used to guide integrity management programs.

scholarly journals Adjusting the Influence Function Method for Subsidence Prediction

2013 ◽  
Vol 553 ◽  
pp. 59-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Saeidi ◽  
Olivier Deck ◽  
Marwan Al Heib ◽  
Thierry Verdel ◽  
Alain Rouleau
Keyword(s):  
Efficient Method ◽  
Influence Function ◽  
Function Method ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
Building Damage ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Influence Function Method ◽  
Vertical Displacements

Theextraction of ore and minerals by underground mining may induce groundsubsidence phenomena. These phenomena produce several types of ground movement likehorizontal and vertical displacements, ground curvature and horizontal groundstrain at the surface, and associated building damage in urban regions. Theinfluence function is a well-known and efficient method for the prediction ofthese movements, but its application is restricted to mining configurationswith the same influence angle around the mine. However, this angle may displaydifferent values when the mine is not horizontal or when other subsidenceevents already occurred near the considered mine.In this paper a methodology and analgorithm are developed, based on the traditional influence function method inorder to take into account different influence angles. This methodology isimplemented in the Mathematicasoftware and a case study is presented with data from the Lorraine iron minefield in France. Ground movements calculated with the developed methodologyshow a fair concordance with observed data.

Distributions of ground movements parallel to deep excavations in clay

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Roboski ◽  
Richard J Finno
Keyword(s):  
Error Function ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Deep Excavation ◽  
Direction Parallel ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Empirical Procedure ◽  
Complementary Error Function ◽  
Excavation Support ◽  
Support Wall

An empirical procedure for fitting a complementary error function (erfc) to settlement and lateral ground movement data in a direction parallel to an excavation support wall is proposed based on extensive optical survey data obtained around a 12.8 m deep excavation in Chicago. The maximum ground movement and the height and length of an excavation wall define the erfc fitting function. The erfc fit is shown to apply to three other excavation projects where substantial ground movement data were reported.Key words: excavations, clays, ground movements, performance data.

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