It is a key issue to define the transient responses of submarine pipeline and seabed under wave loading in the design of submarine pipeline. Most previous investigations were only concerned with the soil response due to linear progressive ocean waves
and the effect of pipeline-seabed interaction on internal stresses within the pipeline are not well recognized. The pipeline-seabed interaction under nonlinear wave loading is investigated by using friction contact theory and the finite element method. Numerical results demonstrate that if the effect of non-linear wave components is neglected
the internal stresses in the pipeline and pore pressure in the seabed may be underestimated or overestimated probably.