Experimental and Numerical Investigation of GRP Pipe Failure Buried in Dense and Loose Sandy Soils

AliPouriani, Mohammad Rauf; TahamouliRoudsari, Mehrzad; MoradiGaroosi, AllahReza; Ghotb, Mohammad Reza

doi:10.22065/jsce.2025.487227.3564

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of GRP Pipe Failure Buried in Dense and Loose Sandy Soils

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad Rauf AliPouriani ¹

Mehrzad TahamouliRoudsari ²

AllahReza MoradiGaroosi ³

Mohammad Reza Ghotb ²

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran.

² Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran

³ Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran.

10.22065/jsce.2025.487227.3564

Abstract

Underground pipelines are considered critical infrastructure, primarily used for the transport of energy and other fluids. One of the major earthquake-related threats to these pipelines is fault displacement occurring along their paths. Therefore, examining the behavior of these pipelines in various soils under seismic impact is of paramount importance. This study investigates the behavior of buried GRP pipes in dense and loose sandy soils through experimental and numerical approaches. Full-scale tests were conducted, with a constant pipe diameter and thickness of 200 mm and 4.9 mm, respectively, across two models. Following loading, the pipe's displacement during loading and failure, as well as the applied force, were measured. Subsequently, numerical studies based on a validated model were carried out to assess the impact of pipe diameter and thickness on the results. A simplified failure equation was proposed based on numerical results to facilitate easier calculations. Finally, the influence of pipe variables on the outcomes was evaluated. Findings indicate that increasing the pipe's diameter and thickness led to higher displacement at the moment of failure and increased failure force. The pipe's failure moment was calculated based on strain, yielding a value of approximately 1.5% in both dense and loose sand. The most influential variable on the failure force and maximum absolute displacement was the pipe diameter. The effect of pipe thickness on maximum displacement was found to be more significant in loose sandy soils than in dense sands.

Keywords

GRP pipes

Lifelines

Experimental and Numerical analysis

Dense and loose sand

Soil-pipe interaction

Subjects

Soil-Structure Interaction

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