Abstract
Soil arching associated with buried thermoplastic pipe is discussed. First, the soil arching phenomenon is described. Then two different approaches are mentioned from the literature to represent the degree of soil arching (or vertical arching factor). The elastic solutions of Burns and Richard are revisited to derive expressions for the vertical soil arching factor for buried pipe. Comparison of the elastic solutions and field soil pressure cell readings reveals the importance of incorporating a bending stiffness parameter. With this finding, the AASHTO method for calculating the load on buried pipe is evaluated against the elastic solutions. The analysis reveals that the AASHTO method is conservative, overestimating the load on thermoplastic pipe by up to 30%. Further evidence to support the finding is found within the strain gauge readings taken on the pipe walls in the field. Therefore, alternative equations derived directly from the elastic solutions are recommended to predict the load on buried thermoplastic pipe instead of the AASHTO method.
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Schedule a callMore From: Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
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