Blast-Induced Dynamic Response of Buried Pipeline Systems
Summary
The dynamic interaction between explosive loads and buried pipelines is a critical concern for energy infrastructure resilience and public safety. When an explosion occurs in proximity to an underground pipeline, a high-pressure blast wave propagates through the soil, generating rapid ground vibrations and transient stresses in the pipe wall. The response of the pipeline depends on factors such as soil type and confinement, burial depth, pipe material and geometry, and the magnitude and proximity of the blast. Modern research combines full-scale field experiments, laboratory measurements of vibration velocity and dynamic strain, and advanced numerical simulations to characterise the attenuation of blast energy with distance, identify peak circumferential and axial strain locations, and establish safe vibration thresholds. Improved understanding of the relationships between ground peak particle velocity, pipe peak vibration velocity and hoop stress has led to practical guidelines for explosion design criteria, maintenance of operational integrity and mitigation measures such as increased burial depth, enhanced backfill compaction or protective encasements. Such advances support risk assessment and inform standards to safeguard oil, gas and water transmission networks worldwide.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Blast-Induced Dynamic Response of Buried Pipeline Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in blast-induced dynamic response of buried pipeline systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Blast wave: A rapidly propagating pressure front generated by explosive detonation, transmitting energy through soil and structures.
Peak Particle Velocity (PPV): The maximum instantaneous speed of soil or pipe particles induced by a dynamic load, used as a key damage criterion.
Hoop strain: The circumferential deformation per unit length in a pipe wall resulting from internal or external pressure waves.
Scaled distance: A dimensionless parameter combining charge mass and stand-off distance, employed to generalise blast effects across different scenarios.
Finite Element Method (FEM): A computational technique that divides a complex structure into discrete elements to predict its stress, strain and dynamic response under loading.
References
- Determination of Blast Vibration Safety Criteria for Buried Polyethylene Pipelines Adjacent to Blast Areas, Using Vibration Velocity and Strain Data. Sensors (2023).
- Effect of Excavation Blasting in the Arch Cover Method on Adjacent Existing Pipelines in a Subway Station. Applied Sciences (2022).
- Determination of Blasting Vibration Safety Criterion for HDPE Pipeline Using Vibration and Strain Data in a Coastal Metro Line. Sensors (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.