Gas and Liquid Fuels Lifelines Committee

Purpose: The Gas and Liquid Fuel Committee is to study the problems of planning, design, and construction of gas and liquid fuel transportation and storage systems and to mitigate the effects of earthquakes; and to develop procedures with which sound design and fitness-for-service assessment can be implemented to achieve acceptable levels of performance.

Current Activities:

The committee is considering undertaking a project to develop a 2nd edition of "Guidelines for the Seismic Design of Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems". Possible improvements to the 1984 document include an update of the Tanks section (converting it from research oriented 115 page chapter to a designer friendly 10-20 page chapter), an expansion of the discussion on seismic hazards like faulting and liquefaction lateral spread (provide a better data base of information), significant modification of the discussion of quantification of seismic hazards, a separate section on pipeline deformation capacity based on strain limits, an update on the pipe-soil section, and more emphasis on operating and maintenance issues (not just design) in particular, consideration of fitness-for-service evaluations, and providing guidelines for utilities or pipeline operating companies for post-earthquake emergency plans. Many photographs on the past performance of oil and gas pipelines subjected to seismic events are now available for inclusion on a CD to be provided with the updated guidelines. A preliminary outline of the 2nd Edition is presently being circulated to the Committee. The next step will be to develop a proposal for use in soliciting funding for the project.