A Novel System for Assuring the Performance of Steel Water Pipelines in Ground Settlement Areas

The paper presents the application of a new system, called “InfraShield,” which increases the performance level of steel water pipelines, which are connected to rigid structures and subjected to differential ground settlement. The application of the InfraShield system in the present problem consists of a pair of pipe wall projections located at appropriate locations along the pipeline that enable the pipeline to accommodate itself within the settled soil pattern in an optimum manner, minimizing its strain and deformation without the use of couplings or more complex systems. The problem is solved numerically using advanced finite elements, which simulate the steel pipe, the soil, and the soil-pipe interface in a rigorous manner. Extensive numerical results are obtained that verify the effectiveness of this system. It is also shown that pipeline response may not be very sensitive to the location of the projections, and this is a positive result on the applicability of the InfraShield system in pipeline design practice. Furthermore, the influence of pipe wall thickness and soil stiffness on settlement response are also examined.