Proposal of Internal Loading Method to Evaluate Remaining Strength of Buried Pipe

— Evaluation of its applicability by experiments using PVC pipe —

Abstract

In order to apply the repair and reinforcement to aged pipes, it is necessary to evaluate the remaining strength of the pipes including their surrounding soil and foundations. In this research, the internal loading method that can be evaluated the strength of buried pipes is proposed. This method aims to evaluate the degree of deterioration (especially cracking and material deterioration) by measuring the relationship between the load and deformation. Experiments with this method were conducted for flexible PVC pipes with and without kerfs. As a result, it was confirmed to be capable of detecting the change in stiffness of a pipe caused by different types of kerfs. And then, it was considered that the influence of the occurrence position in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, even in the same pipe, it was confirmed that the difference of the measurement position influences the deformation in the axial direction.