Allowable External Loading of Buried Smooth-Wall Steel Piping: Parametric Evaluation Using the Latest Guidance

Abstract

Buried steel pipelines see wide use in municipal, industrial, and power plant settings. Methodologies exist for evaluating buried smooth-wall steel pipes for external loading such as soil load and live load, which have been successfully used for decades. This paper reviews the existing methodologies, demonstrates the robust external load capacity of buried steel piping, and also gives several design tables and charts to rapidly increase the speed with which buried smooth-wall steel pipelines may be designed. Similar to buried polyethylene piping, where the American Water Works Association has identified a Basic Installation (previously called the Design Window) allowing for minimal calculations on such pipe, the author identifies similar conditions for buried steel piping where calculations can be minimized or omitted.