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Applying ShakeCast to Monitor Earthquake Hazards for Pipeline Infrastructure

Description: 

Earthquakes threaten buried pipelines through multiple modes of ground deformation, including liquefaction, coseismic landsliding, surface fault displacement, and ground shaking. The 2019 Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Administration “Mega Rule” (49 CFR § 192.613) requires natural gas transmission pipeline operators to inspect their pipelines within 72 hours of an extreme event that has the potential to impact pipelines via soil deformation, including earthquakes. Pipeline operators in the US are therefore in need of an earthquake monitoring system that can rapidly alert when a potentially damaging earthquake occurs in the vicinity of their pipeline asset.

BGC Engineering has integrated the USGS ShakeCast product into our geohazard management software, CambioTM, to aid operators in monitoring for earthquakes and to support post-event response. ShakeCast ingests ShakeMaps in near-real-time and compares shaking intensity against damage thresholds at locations of interest. The Cambio-ShakeCast module alerts operators with threshold exceedance related to potential damage to buried pipelines, either directly through transient pipe strain induced by seismic wave propagation, or indirectly from liquefaction, coseismic landsliding, or fault rupture. We monitor for threshold exceedance at points spaced at regular intervals along the pipeline and at mapped locations where the pipeline crosses terrain susceptible to liquefaction and coseismic landsliding, or known locations of active surface faults. Ground shaking thresholds were developed considering case histories of earthquake-induced pipeline damage, industry standards for seismic design and hazard assessments, and operator experiences. Recommended alert responses range from “information-only” to “prepare for immediate response” and are tailored to specific operator programs and the requirements of the Mega Rule. The integration of ShakeCast into Cambio addresses the pressing need from US pipeline operators for earthquake monitoring and creates an opportunity for continued innovation and as ShakeCast develops and we learn from operator experiences and responses.

Session: Creating Actionable Earthquake Information Products [Poster Session]

Type: Poster

Date: 5/1/2024

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Madeline

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors