Comprehensive design of lifelines, trunk pipelines in particular, that cross active faults capable for surface ruptures requires determination of several input parameters: location of the expected rupture, fault kinematics and single-event displacement value, both net and component-wise, namely vertical, across and along pipeline route, slip velocity (for permanently creeping faults).
Each of the abovementioned parameters can be determined with some accuracy. Reduction of possible errors and uncertainties requires significant efforts and can increase exploration time and cost. On the other hand, active faults parameter values have great influence on the complexity of pipeline design solution and on construction cost. So at survey and design stage the golden mean for accuracy of fault parameters determination should be found out taking into account both survey time and cost and influence of the resultant values on the design and construction.
That is why it is critically important to analyse structures' sensitivity to the input parameters variability. Influence of the critical design fault parameters (displacement, fault location and kinematics) on the design solutions and constructability is evaluated. It allows focusing field study of active fault(s) that cross the pipeline route to get more grounded and reliable estimates of those parameters that have maximal influence on the construction solutions of the pipeline/fault crossing.
