Model Test of Submarine Landslide Impact Forces Acting on Cables

Abstract

Submarine landslides frequently damage communication cables and gas pipelines on the ocean floor, resulting in economic losses and social problems. To study the impact of submarine landslide motion on a pipeline or submarine cable, a rotatory apparatus was developed to simulate the interactions between the submarine landslide and cable. Soil and water can be put in the apparatus and a model cable is fixed in the rotatory part, so the relative motion of the landslide and cable can be measured and evaluated. In addition, shear stress gauges, a pore pressure transducer, and a normal stress sensor were installed at the bottom of the apparatus to monitor the stress change during the model slide motion. In this paper, test results of landslide impact force on the cable model are presented to demonstrate the influences of landslide motion velocity, soil type, and cable diameter on the impact forces.