Combined Use of Jute Geotextile-EPS Geofoam to Protect Flexible Buried Pipes: Experimental and Numerical Studies

This paper addresses the results of the experimental and numerical studies conducted on 4.2 mm thickness and 110 mm diameter high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes buried in fly ash material overlying stone dust beds. The model tests were performed using single and double layers of expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam as compressible inclusions. In addition to that, jute geotextile was used as a reinforcement for the infill fly ash along with EPS geofoam inclusion to obtain induced trench condition. The test beds were subjected to loading on the fly ash surface with the help of a rigid steel plate to simulate as a strip footing in different embedment depths of the pipe (1–3 times pipe diameter). The test results revealed that the pressure and strain values in the pipe reduced significantly in the presence of EPS geofoam and jute geotextile related to the location of the pipe. In the case of double layers of EPS geofoam could induce reduction of the pressure up to 87.2% and strain about 63.5% respectively depending on the density and width of EPS geofoam. Whereas, at the same burial depth, in the presence of jute geotextile together with EPS geofoam can be reduced up to 93.8 and 73.4% for pressure and strain respectively depending on EPS geofoam density and number of reinforcement. Moreover, the jute geotextile-EPS geofoam combination of model test results were validated with finite element program. A good agreement was observed on pressure-settlement response and pipe strain between experimental and numerical investigations. The numerical studies show that the jute geotextile distributes stresses in the lateral direction and then the stresses on the pipe significantly reduced.