Scour below submarine pipelines under irregular wave attack

Abstract

Submarine pipelines are widely used coastal structures, and scour around them can influence their stability. In this study, scour around rigid submarine pipelines under normal-incidence irregular wave attack on horizontal and (1/10) sloping beaches is studied. This paper presents experimental results concerning scour under irregular wave attack. Multiple regression analysis is used to develop models to predict the scour depth under pipelines under the influence of irregular wave attack. The representative wave parameters that characterize the irregular sea state that causes the same scour depth as regular wave attack were determined. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.