Amin Keshavarz

Buried pipelines are critical components of infrastructure networks but remain vulnerable to blast-induced ground motions. Previous research has primarily relied on peak particle velocity (PPV) as the main indicator of blast-induced damage, while limited attention has been given to peak particle displacement (PPD) and the influence of damping on pipeline response. This study investigates their dynamic response to blast loading, using PPD as the primary damage indicator and explicitly incorporating damping effects in the analytical formulation. An analytical model incorporating stiffness and damping effects is developed alongside a numerical model in MIDAS GTS NX. The analytical model provides rapid results suitable for preliminary design and parametric investigations, while the numerical model delivers detailed insights into medium–structure interaction. Parametric analyses demonstrate that medium stiffness, damping ratio, density and particularly pressure wave velocity strongly influence pipeline response. Increasing the damping ratio leads to a decrease in PPD, highlighting the energy-dissipating role of damping. Wave transmission in stiffer media increases the risk of brittle failure, whereas softer media enhance energy dissipation. Pipeline diameter exhibits a nonlinear influence on PPD, with smaller diameters amplifying displacement and larger diameters reducing it.