Buckling Behavior of Polyethylene Liner System

Abstract

A lining system for pipeline rehabilitation uses the method of deforming then reforming a conventional polyethylene pipe to allow installation inside an existing pipe. The liner pipe can be structurally designed as a flexible pipe using existing field and operating conditions. One of the important design factors is its wall buckling under short-term external loads, such as those resulting from floods, sudden increase of soil pressure, or sudden drop in internal pressure. This paper examines some of the buckling formulas introduced by various researchers, and proposes a simplified design methodology based on experimental research for estimating critical buckling pressure under short-term external loads. Considerations are given in this method to liner thickness, diameter, standard dimension ratio (SDR), and stresses induced by manufacturing and installation processes.