Response of Ductile Iron Pipelines at Parkfield, CA to Loma Prieta Earthquake

by Jeremy Isenberg, Weidlinger Associates, Los Altos, United States,
Edward Richardson, Weidlinger Associates, Los Altos, United States,
Thomas D. O'Rourke, Weidlinger Associates, Los Altos, United States,
Hiroyuki Kameda, Weidlinger Associates, Los Altos, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Lifeline Earthquake Engineering

Abstract:

A field experiment designed to investigate the performance of buried pipelines at a fault crossing has been constructed at Owens' Pasture near Parkfield, CA. The site was chosen to capitalize on the predicted recurrence of the 1966 Parkfield-Cholame earthquake sequence on the San Andreas Fault. Monuments for measuring lateral offset and three 3-axis strong motion seismographs at the site are being monitored. Thirty six strain gages are attached to two segments of welded steel pipe to measure length changes and flexure. Twelve displacement transducers are installed in jointed ductile iron pipe to measure rotation and extension at the joints. Ground motion records from the Loma Prieta Earthquake of Oct. 17, 1989 were obtained. Relative rotations and axial deformations at flexible joints of ductile iron pipe were recorded during the surface wave phase of ground shaking. Permanent relative extensions at the end of the Oct. 17 event are consistent with 1.2-1.5 mm of local coseismic right lateral strike slip measured by an adjacent U.S.G.S. creepmeter.

Subject Headings: Pipe joints | Earthquakes | Iron (material) | Field tests | Cast iron | Surface waves | Steel pipes

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