Rocker Pipe Solution to Alleviate Settlement Induced Distress in Flexible Pipes

Soil-pipe interaction studies generally recognise the significance of deformations in the
pipe due to soil loading, but not differential ground and structure movements, which can induce
excessive stress concentrations in the pipeline. Plastics pipes can suffer failure due to such
movements, though their flexibility makes them less vulnerable than rigid pipes. This paper examines
the settlements and how the redistribution of the soil sub grade reactions caused by the installation of
a pipeline within a soil mass, can then be estimated by treating the pipeline as a beam on elastic
foundation. Various case histories are summarised, demonstrating these effects, and pointing the way
to possible solutions, which could be incorporated at the project design stage.

Citation:
Wijeyesekera, D.C., Reginold, J.T. (2006) ‘Rocker Pipe Solution to Alleviate Settlement Induced Distress in Flexible Pipes’ Proceedings of the AC&T, pp.130-135..