Abstract
Although a concrete block is typically installed at the bends of water supply pipes as thrust protection, the concrete block may be unstable when the surrounding ground liquefies due to earthquakes. This study targeted thrust protection with using buried gabion in the ground outside the bends instead of the concrete blocks. The effects of the buried gabion on increasing the horizontal resistance force acting on the bends were evaluated by model tests. The results showed that the horizontal resistance force was approximately doubled by the installation of the gabion; the horizontal resistance force increased gradually without a clear peak, as the horizontal displacement increased; the gabions were slightly bent by loading and may have distributed the load over a wider area of the ground.
https://ror.org/04j7mzp05 
