Technical Papers
Dec 11, 2021

Allowable External Loading of Buried Smooth-Wall Steel Piping: Parametric Evaluation Using the Latest Guidance

Publication: Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 13, Issue 1

Abstract

Buried steel pipelines see wide use in municipal, industrial, and power plant settings. Methodologies exist for evaluating buried smooth-wall steel pipes for external loading such as soil load and live load, which have been successfully used for decades. This paper reviews the existing methodologies, demonstrates the robust external load capacity of buried steel piping, and also gives several design tables and charts to rapidly increase the speed with which buried smooth-wall steel pipelines may be designed. Similar to buried polyethylene piping, where the American Water Works Association has identified a Basic Installation (previously called the Design Window) allowing for minimal calculations on such pipe, the author identifies similar conditions for buried steel piping where calculations can be minimized or omitted.

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Data Availability Statement

No data, models, or code were generated or used during the study.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank his colleague Michael P.H. Marohl, P.E. (Sargent & Lundy) for providing helpful feedback on this paper and also the peer reviewers for reviewing this paper and providing constructive comments.

References

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Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 13Issue 1February 2022

History

Received: May 13, 2021
Accepted: Sep 30, 2021
Published online: Dec 11, 2021
Published in print: Feb 1, 2022
Discussion open until: May 11, 2022

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Authors

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Structural Project Associate, Sargent and Lundy, 55 E. Monroe, Chicago, IL 60603. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0922-7730. Email: [email protected]

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  • Behavior and innovative design model on soil pressure at the top of large-diameter buried steel pipes, Soils and Foundations, 10.1016/j.sandf.2022.101153, 62, 3, (101153), (2022).

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