Damages on pressurized buried pipes can cause major accidents with significant material losses and not rarely the loss of lives. Reinforcement using geosynthetics can be used to protect buried pipes against damages caused by surcharges applied on the soil surface. This paper presents and discusses a model study on the influence of the presence of geosynthetic reinforcement to reduce the stress distribution around buried pipes and strains along the external surface of the pipe caused by surface surcharge (plane-strain condition). Experimental model tests were carried out using a rigid steel box 1500 mm long by 500 mm high by 500 mm high, with a transparent frontal face to allow visual inspection of displacements and failure mechanisms. Different types of reinforcements and reinforcement arrangements were tested. Three types of reinforcements were used with varying values of tensile stiffness. A reinforcement layer installed horizontally above the pipe, inverted U around the pipe and the reinforcement completely enveloping the pipe were the reinforcement arrangements used on the laboratory tests. The results showed the beneficial effects due to the reinforcement presence, such as significant reductions in vertical stresses transmitted to the pipe. Furthermore, it was observed that the presence of the reinforcement reduced compressive strains at the top and bottom of the pipe in comparison with the situation without the presence of the reinforcement.
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