Effects of Axial Relative Ground Movement on Small Diameter Polyethylene Piping in Loose Sand
Small diameter (42 mm) medium density polyethylene (MDPE) pipes are widely used in the gas distribution system in Canada and other countries. They are sometimes exposed to ground movements resulting from landslides or earthquakes. The current design guidelines for evaluating the pipes subjected to g...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Infrastructures |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2412-3811/6/12/168 |
| _version_ | 1797503635437912064 |
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| author | Auchib Reza Ashutosh Sutra Dhar |
| author_facet | Auchib Reza Ashutosh Sutra Dhar |
| author_sort | Auchib Reza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Small diameter (42 mm) medium density polyethylene (MDPE) pipes are widely used in the gas distribution system in Canada and other countries. They are sometimes exposed to ground movements resulting from landslides or earthquakes. The current design guidelines for evaluating the pipes subjected to ground movement were developed for steel pipes of larger diameters and may not apply to flexible MDPE pipes. This paper evaluates 42 mm diameter MDPE pipes buried in loose sand under axial relative ground movement for developing a design method for the pipes. MDPE is a viscoelastic material; therefore, the behaviour of MDPE pipes exposed to landslides would depend on the rate of ground movements. In this research, full-scale laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the responses of buried pipes under various rates of relative axial displacement. Finite element modelling of the tests was used to interpret the observed behaviour using the continuum mechanics framework. The study revealed that the pulling force on the pipe depends on the rate of relative ground displacement (pulling rate). The nondimensional pulling force possessed a nonlinear relationship with the pulling rate. A rate-dependent interface friction angle could be used to calculate the maximum pulling forces using the conventional design guidelines for the pipes in loose sand. Based on the pulling force, the pipe wall strains can be estimated using the methods available for larger diameter pipes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:53:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4533fb71899a48dba3f36347af6d273e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2412-3811 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:53:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Infrastructures |
| spelling | doaj.art-4533fb71899a48dba3f36347af6d273e2023-11-23T08:51:52ZengMDPI AGInfrastructures2412-38112021-12-0161216810.3390/infrastructures6120168Effects of Axial Relative Ground Movement on Small Diameter Polyethylene Piping in Loose SandAuchib Reza0Ashutosh Sutra Dhar1Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7, CanadaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7, CanadaSmall diameter (42 mm) medium density polyethylene (MDPE) pipes are widely used in the gas distribution system in Canada and other countries. They are sometimes exposed to ground movements resulting from landslides or earthquakes. The current design guidelines for evaluating the pipes subjected to ground movement were developed for steel pipes of larger diameters and may not apply to flexible MDPE pipes. This paper evaluates 42 mm diameter MDPE pipes buried in loose sand under axial relative ground movement for developing a design method for the pipes. MDPE is a viscoelastic material; therefore, the behaviour of MDPE pipes exposed to landslides would depend on the rate of ground movements. In this research, full-scale laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the responses of buried pipes under various rates of relative axial displacement. Finite element modelling of the tests was used to interpret the observed behaviour using the continuum mechanics framework. The study revealed that the pulling force on the pipe depends on the rate of relative ground displacement (pulling rate). The nondimensional pulling force possessed a nonlinear relationship with the pulling rate. A rate-dependent interface friction angle could be used to calculate the maximum pulling forces using the conventional design guidelines for the pipes in loose sand. Based on the pulling force, the pipe wall strains can be estimated using the methods available for larger diameter pipes.https://www.mdpi.com/2412-3811/6/12/168gas distribution pipesmall diameter pipemedium-density polyethylenefull-scale teststrain calculation model |
| spellingShingle | Auchib Reza Ashutosh Sutra Dhar Effects of Axial Relative Ground Movement on Small Diameter Polyethylene Piping in Loose Sand Infrastructures gas distribution pipe small diameter pipe medium-density polyethylene full-scale test strain calculation model |
| title | Effects of Axial Relative Ground Movement on Small Diameter Polyethylene Piping in Loose Sand |
| title_full | Effects of Axial Relative Ground Movement on Small Diameter Polyethylene Piping in Loose Sand |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Axial Relative Ground Movement on Small Diameter Polyethylene Piping in Loose Sand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Axial Relative Ground Movement on Small Diameter Polyethylene Piping in Loose Sand |
| title_short | Effects of Axial Relative Ground Movement on Small Diameter Polyethylene Piping in Loose Sand |
| title_sort | effects of axial relative ground movement on small diameter polyethylene piping in loose sand |
| topic | gas distribution pipe small diameter pipe medium-density polyethylene full-scale test strain calculation model |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2412-3811/6/12/168 |
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