dr inż. Krzysztof Szarf | Politechnika Gdańska

Numerical study on impact of an unsecured excavation on an underground pipeline. Analysis focused on investigation of pipeline displacement generated by soil movement caused by excavation and heavy traffic. Numerical calculations and soil parameter sensitivity analysis based on Finite Element Method. Some comparisons of results with real-life failure cases.

The paper presents a numerical analysis of the impact of an unsecured excavation on an underground pipeline in selected soil conditions. The research was inspired by a real-life failure of a water pipeline which was caused by a nearby unsecured excavation (Sikora et al. 2015). The failure was triggered by displacement of soil mass in the vicinity of the pipeline. The study conducted in the framework of Finite Element...

Abstract: The mechanical performance of underground flexible structures such as buried pipes or culverts made of plastics depend not only on the properties of the structure, but also on the material surrounding it. Flexible drains can deflect by 30% with the joints staying tight, or even invert. Large deformations of the structure are difficult to model in the framework of Finite Element Method, but straightforward in Discrete...

Particle shape is a major parameter for the space-filling and strength properties of granular materials. For a systematic investigation of shape effect, a numerical benchmark test was set up within a collaborative group using different numerical methods and particles of various shape characteristics such as elongation, angularity and nonconvexity. Extensive 2D shear simulations were performed in this framework and the shear strength...

The mechanical performance of underground flexible structures such as buried pipes or culverts made of plastics depend not only on the properties of the structure, but also the material surrounding it. Flexible drains can deflect by 30% with the joints staying tight, or even invert. Large deformations of the structure are difficult to model in the framework of Finite Element Method, but straightforward in Discrete Element Methods....