Bedform evolution around a submarine pipeline and its effects on wave-induced forces under regular waves

The paper presents an experimental investigation of seabed evolution behavior around a submarine pipeline and the hydrodynamic forces on the pipeline under regular waves. Unlike the previous flume tests that have largely used beds with median sands, this study focuses on fine sediments such as sandy silt and silt. The primary objective of the study was to investigate: (i) the scour process under different wave conditions and with different sediments and (ii) the influence of the bedform evolution on the hydrodynamic forces experienced by the pipeline. In terms of scour and ripple formation, four distinct regimes of the near-field bed evolution behavior are identified which are: (1) no scour, (11) scour without ripples, (III) scour with small ripples and (IV) scour with large ripples. The influence of bedform evolution on wave forces was found to vary significantly in different regimes. In regime 1, the wave forces were quite stable; in regime 11 and 111, the wave forces underwent a gradual reduction before reaching their equilibrium values at fairly early stages of the scour process: in regime IV, the wave forces were significantly affected by the migrating ripples and can be rather unsteady throughout the testing period. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.