An evaluation of the factors affecting the thermal state of frozen soils at the foundations of a buried oil pipeline

Abstract

This article is a study of the temperature conditions of frozen soils at the foundation bed of the VSTO-1underground pipeline. It establishes the primary and secondary factors which affect these soils’ thermal state. In particular, this work demonstrates that there is no link between average annual air temperatures and a change to the temperature of frozen soils depth of yearly zero amplitudes close to underground sections of the oil pipeline route. As a first approximation, relationships were found for stabilizing the soil temperatures at the foundations of pipe hanging supports in underground sections over time with a combination of heat-insulating coatings and soil-temperature stabilizers. Primary and secondary factors were established which affect the thermal state of soils at the foundations of pipe hangers in the underground sections.