A generalised analytical solution for pipeline walking considering soil resistance as elastoplastic behaviour

This paper presents a generalised analytical solution for pipeline walking under cyclic temperature and internal pressure variations, incorporating elastoplastic soil resistance. The governing equations are formulated in incremental form, and a closed-form analytical solution is derived. Previously published analytical models that assume rigid plastic soil behaviour are shown to be a special case of this generalised framework, recovered by setting the elastic mobilisation distance to zero. A simplified mathematical expression for pipeline walking rate is obtained, enabling efficient predictions. Calculation examples based on realistic offshore conditions demonstrate the application of the solution in assessing the complete history of pipeline walking. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis highlights the influence of key parameters on walking behaviour, providing insights for offshore pipeline design and stability assessment.