Impact of Mining Extraction on Above-Ground Pipelines

Abstract

The issue of the impact of subsoil deformations on above-ground steel pipelines, especially district heating pipelines, located in mining areas in Poland was discussed. The pipelines constructed from steel pipes joined by welding and supported by slide, guide and fixed rigid supports were taken into account. Expansion joints in district heating pipelines are installed due to significant changes in their length caused by temperature changes. Subsoil deformations in mining areas cause displacements of supports and thus pipelines are subjected to additional displacements, forces and bending moments. Pipelines are protected against this impact by the use of additional expansion joints or expansion joints with an increased operating range. In the article, the way of assessing the possibility of transferring mining deformations of the subsoil by existing above-ground pipelines was presented. Evaluation of the possibility considers: a. the assessment of the technical condition of the pipelines and supports based on the conducted inventory in the field, b. the assessment of the current ability to transmit the subsoil deformations by expansion joints, c. the kinematic analysis of the pipelines, taking into account the extreme values of support displacements, resulting from predicted values of mining deformations of the subsoil, d. the static and strength analysis for selected elements or sections of the pipelines.