Effect of Shallow Trench Construction on Cast Iron Pipelines

by T. D. O'Rourke, Cornell Univ, Sch of Civil &, Environmental Engineering, Ithaca, NY, USA,
I. Ahmed, Cornell Univ, Sch of Civil &, Environmental Engineering, Ithaca, NY, USA,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Advances in Underground Pipeline Engineering

Abstract:

This paper summarizes the results of three-dimensional finite element analyses to evaluate the strains and displacements sustained by 4, 6, and 8-in. (100, 150, and 200 mm)-diameter cast iron pipelines parallel to shallow trench construction. The analytical results compare well with field measurements, although the agreement is better for vertical displacements and bending strains than for those in the horizontal direction. The most severe strains are caused by surface construction loads. The bending strains are closely related to the soil modulus and are not influenced significantly by pipe diameter for the range of sizes studied. The presence of a flexible pavement is shown to reduce longitudinal bending deformation by 50% relative to the condition of loads imposed in the absence of a pavement.

Subject Headings: Finite element method | Strain | Trenches | Three-dimensional analysis | Displacement (mechanics) | Buried pipes | Soil-pipe interaction

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