Guest Editors:
Antonio Miglio, Ph.D., P.Eng., M.ASCE

Analysis of buried pipelines and culverts shows that vertical earth pressures play a significant influence on the sizing of these types of buried structures, especially for those structures buried under high fills. The use of lightweight backfilling materials can be highly beneficial to the buried pipes and culverts due to the fact that they are able to reduce the vertical earth pressures – both immediately and in the long term – on the above said buried structures, and, therefore, the stresses and/or deflections in the same structures. The reduced earth pressures also allow savings in the design for the pipe/culvert walls. Furthermore, the use of lightweight backfilling materials offer significant savings in time, cost and quality compared to the use of natural fill materials. This Special Collection focuses on the use and role of lightweight backfilling materials in the installation and performance of buried pipes/culverts in order to gain further insights into a crucial issue and to ensure the desired performance of buried pipeline systems, especially when buried under high fills. The papers will be greatly beneficial for anyone involved in this field.