Load Reductions on Buried Rigid Pipe

Abstract

Buried structures such as pipes and culverts are often installed in the ground with special soft inclusion materials whose purpose is to reduce the overburden pressure that these structures must support. This study showed by computer simulation that the size, shape, location, and composition of these inclusions need to be considered to minimize the loads carried by these structures. The validity of the computer simulation was authenticated by comparing the computer results with an instrumented culvert installed in a laboratory testing tank.