scope:

This report addresses the structural design of a buried piping system. This task is particularly interesting since it involves three engineering disciplines: geotechnical, civil-structural and mechanical. Much work has been accomplished in this field since the turn of the century, when the first formulas for soil loads on underground conduits were established. The engineer now has access to a number of codes, standards and publications to calculate the load and capacity of buried piping systems. This report compiles and illustrates through practical applications, various published methods and equations for evaluating the structural adequacy of buried piping systems. This report covers steel piping, installed in a trench, with pressurized flow and welded or segmented construction. The report addresses the following area:

C Methods to calculate loads applied to buried pipe

C Equations by which to estimate the pipe integrity under load

C Application examples to assess the relative significance of loads

Publication of this document - WRC Bulletin No. 425 was sponsored by the Pressure Vessel Research Council of the Welding Research Council.