Study of non-uniform bedding due to voids under jointed PVC water distribution pipes

Study of non-uniform bedding support under continuous PVC water distribution pipes

Solutions for expected shear force and rotation across joints connecting rigid pipes are formulated for use in the structural design of rigid pipe joints and possible inclusion in current pipe stan...

Simplified design model for rigid pipe joints based on the two-pipe approximation1

While a significant number of long term sewer pipe and culvert failures result from joint leakage and erosion of backfill, there have been very few studies examining the behaviour of pipe joints, and there is no established method for design of bell and spigot or other joint types. Reported here, therefore, are test results on 600mm diameter reinforced concrete, 900mm diameter Polyvinyl Chloride and 1500mm diameter High Density Polyethylene pipes with gasketed bell and spigot joints. Full-scale live load tests on jointed pipe systems were conducted in the test facility at Queen’s University, involving two different burial depths and three different surface load locations relative to the joints being evaluated. The experimental results are presented and assessed to determine the key demands generated at the joints and how they are influenced by the loading location, burial depth and pipe material. The different characteristics of soilstructure interaction for joints in rigid and flexible pipes are highlighted. Finally, joint performance in the laboratory is discussed in the context of the development of structural design methods for joints.

Response of Bell and Spigot Joints in Culverts under Vehicle Load

........................................................................................................................................... ii Co-Authorship ................................................................................................................................ iv Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... v Table of

Simplified design equations and laboratory tests for pipe joints

Poor performance of pipe joints can contribute significantly to reduction of the overall performance of pipe systems. The most common problems attributed to joint defects are infiltration, exfiltration, and erosion of the soil surrounding the pipe that can ultimately produce pipe failure. Thus, modelling of joints in pipelines is a critical issue influencing both the short and long term performance of these systems. Although the joint may often be the weakest point along the pipe and joints can have a major influence on pipe performance, little research has been conducted in regard to their design. Even joint response to simple loading conditions is largely unknown due to the complexity of interactions between the pipes and the gasket. In this paper, a three-dimensional finite element analysis of a rieber-type rubber-gasketed PVC water pipe joint has been carried out to investigate the influence of gasket modulus, rubberPVC friction, insertion length and joint rotation on the overall performance of the pipe-joint system. The numerical analyses are performed using ABAQUS.

M. Balkaya

Papers

Analysis of a gasketed pvc pipe-joint