3D Discrete Element Modelling of Soil-Pipeline Interaction Subjected to Large Fault Displacements: A Micro-Mechanical Perspective
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A three-dimensional discrete element model is developed to investigate the micromechanical response of a buried pipeline subjected to reverse fault displacement. The pipeline is represented by rigid ring clumps connected through bonded contacts, while the surrounding soil is modelled explicitly as a granular assembly. The discretised pipeline is calibrated against an Euler-Bernoulli four-point bending solution, and the fault-induced deformation is compared with published numerical results. The 60° case is examined in detail to assess pipeline deformation, loss of soil support, strong-contact redistribution and energy dissipation, while additional simulations at 75° and 90° are used to examine the influence of fault dip. The results show progressive pipeline uplift and a preferential reduction in contacts beneath the pipe, accompanied by redistribution of the surrounding granular contact network towards the hanging wall side. DEM energy tracking shows that the recorded irreversible dissipation is dominated by shear-related contact processes.
