Behavior Characteristics of Underground Flexible Pipe Backfilled with Lightweight Foamed Soil

Lightweight Foamed Soil (LWFS) is a useful material for underground pipe backfill because of reusability of excavated soil and no compaction effect. In this research, a pilot test is carried out and monitoring results are analyzed to investigate behaviors of a flexible pipe, when LWFS is applied as a backfill material. Simultaneously, they are compared with another test case which is backfilled with Saemangeum dredged soil. As a result, the vertical earth pressure of the case backfilled with LWFS slurry presents that decreases as much as 25.6% in comparison with dredged soil and it is only within 10% after solidification. In case backfilled with dredged soil, the horizontal earth pressure is more than 3.6 times of the case used by LWFS and the vertical and horizontal deformation is more than 3.2 and 2.6 times of the case, respectively. It presents excellent effects on earth pressure and deformation reduction of LWFS. The stresses measured at the upper side of the pipe generally present compressive aspects in case backfilled with dredged soil. However, they present tensile aspects in case of LWFS. It is because of negative moment occurred at the center of the pipe due to the buoyancy from LWFS slurry. Conclusively, LWFS using Saemangeum dredged soil is very excellent material to use near the area in comparison with the dredged soil. However, the countermeasure to prevent the buoyancy is required.