Axial Pullout Behavior of Buried Medium-Density Polyethylene Gas Distribution Pipes
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21, Issue 7
Abstract
This paper presents an experimental investigation into the axial pullout behavior of buried medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) pipes under various pulling rates. Tests were conducted in a facility developed at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. During the tests, pipe elongations and axial strains were measured to examine the mobilization of axial force with leading end displacement, and circumferential strains were measured to capture the effects of pipe diameter change. Finite-element (FE) modeling of the tests was used to evaluate the interface friction angle and the effect of diameter changes on the normal stresses on the pipe surface, which influence the pullout resistance of the soil. The results indicated that the pipes’ elongation, diameter decrease, and pulling rate significantly influence the pullout forces for buried MDPE pipes subjected to axial ground movement. FE analysis with interface friction angles of 0.75ϕ, 0.86ϕ, and 0.9ϕ was found to successfully simulate the test conditions under pulling rates of 0.5, 1, and 2 mm/min, respectively. Based on the study, simplified methods were proposed to calculate the mobilized frictional length and pipe wall strain from the leading end displacement.
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Acknowledgments
The Collaborative Research and Development Grant program of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Innovate NL program of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, FortisBC Energy, and WSP Canada are gratefully acknowledged for providing the financial and/or in-kind support for this research. The authors are thankful for the technical assistance of Jason Murphy, Shawn Organ, and Matt Curtis in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. Undergraduate students Alex David McNeil and Shadi Soliman helped with instrumentation and pipe installation and deinstallation during the tests.
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21 • Issue 7 • July 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 15, 2020
Accepted: Mar 12, 2021
Published online: May 6, 2021
Published in print: Jul 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Oct 6, 2021
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