Evaluation of Tsunami Scouring on Subsea Pipelines

Abstract

It is important that subsea pipelines are designed and maintained to withstand earthquakes and tsunamis, especially in earthquake-prone regions such as Japan. Tsunami scouring of the seabed may reduce the amount of soil covering a subsea pipeline, exposing it to harmful wave action. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of a subsea pipeline by calculating the tsunami scouring volume for representative tsunamis via numerical analysis. As a case study, we determined how subsea pipelines in the Kashima-nada sea area, Japan, would be affected. The results obtained indicate that for both a level 2 tsunami and a level 1 tsunami, scouring does not significantly affect the pipeline and no construction is subsequently required to restore the soil cover.