Improving on-bottom design for pipelines, cables and umbilicals

This PICULS (pipeline, cable umbilical lateral stability) joint industry project (JIP) builds on the proven foundations of DNV’s recommended practice (RP) DNV-RP-F109 On-bottom stability design of submarine pipelines, cables and umbilicals, which was last updated in 2021. The RP is widely used in the subsea and offshore industry. This JIP aims to integrate the latest research and industry development into an updated and improved document. 

Improvements in DNV-RP-F109 will support the offshore wind and oil & gas industries to reduce project execution risk and operational risks through improved design methodologies. Project costs can be optimized by enabling more efficient design approaches fit for both typical conditions (i.e. supported by a generalized design table) and more complex situations (e.g. shallow water, uneven seabed). 

Challenge: why updated stability guidance is needed

The on-bottom design and stability of subsea assets is essential and necessary to achieve safe and cost-effective solutions for both the renewables and the oil & gas industries. Together, we can strengthen industry understanding, reduce uncertainty, and improve the design, installation, and operation of subsea cables, pipelines, and umbilicals in increasingly challenging conditions (e.g. shallow water, uneven seabed, optimized intervention).

DNV-RP-F109 has been widely adopted throughout the offshore industry for the stability design of pipelines, cables, and other seabed assets. However, significant developments in hydrodynamic modelling, soil interaction understanding, numerical analysis capabilities, and subsea asset technologies have emerged since the recommended practice was first published in 2017. In parallel, industry experience has highlighted several design scenarios that are not adequately addressed by the current guidance.

This JIP intends to focus on recognized limitations and emerging industry needs, including:

• Design of cables and other assets not fully represented in current guidance
• Shallow-water applications and associated hydrodynamic conditions
• Temporary conditions such as storage, transportation, installation, and commissioning
• Complex seabed conditions, including inclined, uneven, or rocky terrain
• Partly fixed assets and non-standard boundary conditions
• Non-circular asset configurations, including bundles and piggy-back arrangements
• Asset interaction effects and short seabed free spans
• Time-dependent phenomena such as scour, self-burial, fatigue, and abrasion

Why participate in the PICULS JIP?

Participation in the JIP offers a unique opportunity to influence future industry requirements and recommended practices. The participants can contribute directly to the development of guidance that may shape future revisions of DNV-RP-F109, and gain early access to findings, recommendations, and industry best practices emerging from the project.

Project status: planned launch in Q1 2027

DNV will present the JIP to the industry in Q4 2026 to assess market interest. Subject to sufficient partner and participant commitment, the project is expected to start in Q1 2027.

Webinar: learn how to get involved

Join a webinar on Tuesday 20 October at 15.00 CEST (Central European Summer Time) to find out more about this joint industry project. Please contact Morten Solnørdal for more information.

Deliverables: turning JIP findings into practical guidelines

• A JIP technical report summarizing the results and conclusions of the JIP. 
• Recommendations to update DNV-RP-F109, based on the results of the JIP.

Related DNV software development

DNV has commercially available software related to on-bottom stability: PILSS and StableLines. The development of these programs is independent of the JIP.