Stability of Buried Corrugated Metal Pipe

摘要

Stability of flexible pipe relies on support from the surrounding soil. For corrugated profiles, local and distortional buckling of corrugations can limit the capacity of the pipe. This paper presents current design methods for evaluating stability of buried corrugated metal pipe (CMP), and a parametric finite element analysis. Soil support is included in the finite element analysis and its effect on the stability of the pipe is explored. The study covers a range of typical diameters, profiles, and soil stiffnesses. The results of the parametric finite element analysis are presented, and the global, local, and distortional stability of CMP is discussed. We find that soil support has a significant effect on the global stability of buried CMP, but comparatively less of an effect on the local and distortional buckling modes as smaller displacements fail to mobilize the resistance of the soil.