Validation of Shoring Made of HDPE Pipe or CGS Pipe Normally Used for Culverts and Sewers

Abstract

Considering the diversity of excavation work, municipalities are always trying to find new methods of shoring. This is how the idea grew up about using a high density polyethylene (HDPE) sewer pipe or a corrugated galvanized steel (CGS) pipe as shoring on the water supply and sewer network for small-dimension excavations of short duration where proven shoring and shielding systems cannot be used and/or a backhoe cannot be used for excavating. HDPE and CGS pipes have been designed according to the requirements for water and sewer pipes. However, when they are used for vertical shoring and subjected to earth pressure, their behavior has never been the subject of quantifications or tests. This study describes the validation by calculations and tests of the use of HPDE and CGS pipes as shoring for small-dimension excavations of short duration on the water supply and sewer network.