Next Generation Hazard Resilient Infrastructure: Fid-Bau Portal

Next Generation Hazard Resilient Infrastructure

O’Rourke, T. D. / Wham, B. / Berger, B. / Argyrou, C. / Strait, J. E.

The resilience of underground infrastructure to large ground deformation depends on the ability of pipelines, cables, and conduits to accommodate the geometric nonlinearities in soil by changing shape through axial elongation/compression, flexure, and rotation at joints. This paper focuses on the development of the next generation hazard resilient infrastructure through large-scale testing and numerical modeling. With the assistance of the Cornell Lifelines Large-Scale Testing Facility, ten new pipeline and conduit systems have been developed and commercialized using a protocol of large-scale tests and fault rupture experiments that define and confirm performance under extreme conditions of ground deformation. Resilience involves the capacity of the pipelines to accommodate large ground deformation from earthquake-related movements associated with fault rupture, liquefaction, and landslides. It also involves the accommodation of ground movement caused by hurricanes, floods, tunneling, excavations, and subsidence related to mining and dewatering. The development and validation of analytical and numerical models for soil-structure interaction are described. The performance of the new systems is discussed. Examples of ductile iron, polyvinyl chloride, and steel pipelines, as well as those reinforced with cured-in-place pipe and pipe linings, are used to illustrate the performance of next generation hazard resilient infrastructure. Next steps in the development of hazard resilient infrastructure are discussed, which include the incorporation of smart sensor technologies.