×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

External pressure for underground pipe

External pressure for underground pipe

External pressure for underground pipe

(OP)
Dear all,

I have a pipe that is buried underground 10' below from the surface. Say, the diameter of the pipe is 4' and thickness is 1".  Since it is buried, the external pressure, due to soil weight or tranportations etc, around the pipe won't be uniform.  Is there any pressure formula that can be used to represent the pressure distribution around the pipe?

Thanks

ST

RE: External pressure for underground pipe

Yes there's ways of analysis for that problem.

If it is a 4" steel pipe with a 1" wall thickness, you've got no problems with earth pressures at 10 ft, and basically neither with any kind of vechicle that moves over it, including a 747.

   Going the Big Inch! worm
http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

RE: External pressure for underground pipe

(OP)
Thanks BigInch,

Unfortunately it is not made of steel. it's like a rubber (but not really rubber - more durable).  And the diameter is about 4ft so that it makes a thin-wall structure.  Due to its flexible nature, the external pressure is very important (Internal pressure assumes atmospheric) so I would like to know the external pressure distribution of a circular pipe.


ST

RE: External pressure for underground pipe

OK, right... I see ... I need new glasses.  
Your material description is still vague, so I can't give an opinion, but you really didn't want one anyway. Depending on the actual material you are using and the results of your analysis, you may want to consider installing your pipe inside another conduit, a corregated HDPE pipe for example, or a concrete pipe or other stronger material.  

SlideRule you gave us some very nice links.

   Going the Big Inch! worm
http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

RE: External pressure for underground pipe

No sir.  Thank you.  

I was changing the last digit of the x.pdf files and got to 8.  Thought I got um all.  Back to the vault.

I'm thinking about doing some irrigation work.  There's 54 golf courses within 34 minutes of here!

   Going the Big Inch! worm
http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources