Abstract
It is difficult to backfill and compact the narrow space in the bottom side of the pipe and ensure sufficient quality. Insufficient backfilling may cause unexpected deformation and stress concentration in the pipe. In this study, a method of installing EPS as a pipe foundation was proposed, and its effectiveness was examined through a model experiment using 300 polyethylene pipes. The results showed that, when EPS is installed, depending on its geometry, slightly larger strains may occur at the bottom of the pipe or at the contact point between the pipe and EPS, but these strains are significantly smaller than the strain concentrations caused by insufficient backfilling and are not large enough to cause pipe failure, indicating the effectiveness of the EPS as a pipe foundation.
