International Pipeline Geotechnical Conference

The ASME 2017 International Pipeline Geotechnical Conference (IPG2017) is an international event to promote knowledge sharing, technological progress and international cooperation for advancing the management of natural forces impacting pipelines with the intent of protecting the public, environment, energy infrastructure assets and ensure safe and reliable operations.

The pipeline risk factors associated with natural forces include:

• Landslides and mass movement
• Tectonics/seismicity — including fault crossings and liquefaction
• Hydrotechnical — including river scour and channel migration
• Erosion and upheaval displacement
• Geochemical — including karst and acid rock drainage
• Unique soil structure — including residual and sensitive soils
• Desert mechanisms — including dune migration
• Volcanic mechanisms
• Freezing of unfrozen ground
• Thawing of permafrost terrain

These forces have become critical in the integrity management of pipelines due to the occurrence of failures causing loss of human life and damage to the environment. These risk factors are known as Geohazards resulting from natural processes of a geotechnical, geological, hydrological, or tectonic origin that represent potential threats usually induced during the pipeline construction and operations.

The suite of activities constituting geohazard management practice including special design and construction; monitoring and inspection; risk assessment and associated data management have seen considerable advancements in recent years as the topic has gained prominence within the pipeline community.