Elastoplastic pipe-soil interaction analyses of partially-supported jointed water mains

Water distribution networks are essential components of water supply systems. The combination of pipe structural deterioration and mechanics leads to the failure of pipelines. A physical model for estimating the pipe failure must include both the pipe deterioration model and mechanics model. Winkler pipe-soil interaction (WPSI), an analytical mechanics model developed by Rajani and Tesfamariam (2004), takes external and internal loads, temperature changes, loss of bedding support, and the elastoplastic effect of soil into consideration. Based on the WPSI model, a method to evaluate the elastic and plastic areas was proposed in the present study. An FEM model based on pipe-soil interaction (PSI) element was used to verify the analytical model. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the soft soil, long pipe and high temperature induced the axial plastic deformation more likely, which, however, may not occur in normal scenarios. The soft soil, pipes in small diameters, long unsupported bedding are prone to form flexural plastic area. The results show that the pipes subjected to the same loads have smaller stresses in the elastoplastic analysis than elastic analysis. The difference, however, is slight.