Title:
Measured Load Capacity of Buried Reinforced Concrete Pipes
Author(s):
Katrina MacDougall, Neil A. Hoult, and Ian D. Moore
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
113
Issue:
1
Appears on pages(s):
63-73
Keywords:
buried pipe; crack widths; Indirect Design Method; reinforced concrete
DOI:
10.14359/51688059
Date:
1/1/2016
Abstract:
Reinforced concrete pipes in North America are often designed
using the Indirect Design Method, which uses bedding factors to relate in-place pipe performance to the performance obtained from three-edge bearing tests. The key performance indicator is the load at which the 0.254 mm (0.01 in.) critical crack is developed. The current bedding factors were developed using numerical modeling, and a limited amount of experimental verification has been performed to determine the accuracy of the approach. As such, a series of shallow burial tests with surface loading, a simulated deep burial test, and three-edge bearing tests were undertaken on 0.6 and 1.2 m (24 and 48 in.) diameter pipes to evaluate the current bedding factors. Both the shallow and deep burial tests indicated that the critical crack does not develop until after the specified service load has been surpassed, suggesting that current pipe designs are overly conservative.