Integrated assessment for route selection of river-crossing pipeline using structural and hydraulic approach

An optimised route design procedure for a river-crossing pipeline that minimises disturbance to the structure and stream environment during its lifetime is presented in this article. The work covers both the assessment of hydrological conditions and mechanical performance of the pipeline and its protective structure. The assessment techniques for crossings involve a numerical and analytical method for simple integrity estimation. The procedure provides a feedback link to select the optimised crossing route and inform the structural repair design step. As a case study, the proposed route selecting technique is applied to a river with an exposed section in Gyeonggi Province, Korea. Complicated hydraulic flow fields are apparent in this area due to the narrow shortcut directly upstream of the pipeline. In the scour state analysis, an installed encasement, and not an alternative route, exhibits sufficient structural robustness under flood conditions.