Measurement of normal pressures and friction forces acting on buried pipes subjected to cyclic axial displacements in laboratory experiments

authored by

I. Weidlich, M. Achmus

Abstract

The earth pressure acting on buried pipes is decisive for the pipe design. For pipes shifting in the ground, such as district heating pipes, which are subjected to cyclic temperature loading, the mobilizable friction force, which is also dependent on the earth pressure load, is a very important quantity. Friction force changes with cyclic axial displacement of a pipeline in operation. A special testing device was designed to investigate the friction forces and the normal pressures on a pipe buried in sand and how these change during cyclic axial displacement dependent on system and soil parameters. The experimental setup is presented, and in particular the application of the tactile pressure sensor, the special measuring technique used, is described. The dependence of the decrease in friction force on pipe diameter, soil overburden height, and relative density of the soil was investigated in the tests. The results are presented and the findings are discussed.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Geotechnical Engineering

Type

Article

Journal

Geotechnical testing journal

Volume

31

Pages

334-343

No. of pages

10

ISSN

0149-6115

Publication date

07.2008

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy