Geomechanics and Engineering

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Investigation of basement excavation-induced soil erosion failure mechanisms surrounding pressurized discontinuous pipelines

  • Jinghan Yuan (Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Urban Infrastructure, Zhejiang University City College) ;
  • Xiaodong Ni (School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University) ;
  • Dong Zhao (CR17 BG Municipal Construction Co., LTD.)
  • Received : 2025.04.29
  • Accepted : 2026.04.15
  • Published : 2026.05.10
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Abstract

The excavation of deep foundation pits may cause surrounding strata subsidence and pipeline leakage-induced soil loss. This study used a global transparent soil pipe-soil-water coupling test system to investigate the soil penetration erosion failure process after pressurized pipe interface leakage. A numerical model was established on the EDEM-Fluent platform, integrating foundation pit stress fields and pipeline deformation to simulate soil fluidization triggered by pipeline damage. The effects of fine particle content (FPC), pipe buried depth ratio , and pipe flow rate on permeability failure were explored. Mechanisms of fine particle migration and skeleton failure were revealed via force chain network and fine particle bearing ratio evolution. Results show EDEM-API and Fluent dynamic mesh enable cross-scale finite-discrete element simulation. Soil with 15% FPC exhibits strong erosion resistance. Larger BDR and lower PFR delay erosion failure.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The research was supported by the Open Fund of Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Infrastructure Intelligence (Grant No. IUI2022-ZD-02). The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by these funding agencies.

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