Pipelines in landslide-prone areas are highly susceptible to damage or rupture under soil movement, posing severe threats to social stability and national security. However, research on pipeline failure mechanisms across different landslide types remains insufficient. Therefore, this study employs large-scale indoor model tests to investigate the interaction mechanisms between pipelines and soil (pipeline-soil interaction) in translational landslide zones through comparative experiments. The results indicate that: (1) The failure process of translational landslides is characterized by initial sliding at the slope crest under loading, which progressively drives the lower soil mass, ultimately resulting in global slope instability. The sliding mass displacement exhibits a top-to-bottom reduction pattern. (2) Pipelines traversing slopes laterally significantly enhance slope stability by providing measurable anti-sliding resistance. (3) Pipeline displacement under sliding mass action occurs in the downslope direction, yet its trajectory deviates from the sliding mass movement. (4) Strain analysis reveals that the pipeline experiences peak strain in the middle region of the sliding mass and at the sliding-non-sliding interface, with the middle region being the primary location for initial yielding and fracture. This study advances the understanding of pipeline-sliding mass interaction mechanisms in translational landslides and offers critical insights for improving pipeline safety and reliability.

Pipelines are the primary mode of oil and gas transport in cold regions. Differential frost heaving of frozen and non-frozen soil masses can damage such pipelines, posing economic and environmental risks. The present study investigates the mechanical behaviors of buried pipelines under differential frost heaving forces. A discrete forecasting model of these mechanical behaviors based on frost heaving springs is proposed. The relationship between the frost heaving amount and force at any moment is established using the Takashi empirical equation and the corresponding development of frost depth. On this basis, the properties of nonlinear frost heaving springs are disclosed. A model of pipeline mechanical state is derived to understand the deformation and stress at any moment, allowing the dynamic prediction of mechanical behaviors. The model is applied to two case studies involving the Caen and Alaska buried pipelines. The modeling results agree well with measurements taken at these pipelines, and the discrete descriptions of their mechanical modes are effective. A sensitivity analysis of the modeling results for pipelines of different size was conducted, providing a theoretical foundation for the optimal design of buried pipelines in cold regions.