Linear and nonlinear axial behaviour of internal replacement pipe systems for pipeline rehabilitation

Internal replacement pipe (IRP) is an innovative trenchless technology for the rehabilitation of legacy steel and cast-iron pipelines. This advanced IRP system must be properly designed so that it can safely and effectively restore the service of damaged pipelines. This paper studies the axial behaviour of IRP systems for repairing pipelines with circumferential host-pipe discontinuities under seasonal and extreme levels of temperature change. Analytical solutions along with a total of 270 linear and nonlinear finite element (FE) simulations, validated against experimental results and available closed-form solutions, were used for a parametric study on the effects of geometrical and material properties on axial stresses and deformations of IRP systems subjected to temperature change. Effects of the internal pressure, material and geometric nonlinearities, and different modes of IRP-host pipe unbonding were also investigated. An analytical model was developed for the prediction of temperature change induced loading and response of the IRP system. Using the results obtained from a comprehensive FE-based parametric study, three modification factors were extracted for the application to the developed analytical model in order to accurately predict the maximum axial stress of IRP and the opening of a circumferential host-pipe discontinuity subjected to various levels of temperature change.