Experimental Investigation of Seismic Loading Effect on Soil-Pipe Interface Friction
Experimental Investigation of Seismic Loading Effect on Soil-Pipe Interface Friction
Soil-pipe interface shear strength is important to determine pipes pullout capacity. The interface friction provide resistance to axial movements when a pipe is exposed to axial loads, such as from temperature changes. Evaluating the interface behaviour between buried pipelines and surrounding soil exposed to seismic loading and vibrations is essential for understanding the pipe-soil interaction mechanisms. Small scale laboratory tests were performed to investigate the changes in soil-pipe interface shear strength due to seismic loading and vibrations. A soil box was built and used for the pipe pullout tests. The box was placed on a shake table which provided the dynamic loading causing vibrations. For the tests, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and sand were used. For each test condition, pipe pullout tests were performed before and after a pipe is exposed to seismic vibrations. Key parameters such as peak interface shear strength, displacements at the peak strength, and interface friction angles were investigated for pre- and post-shaking conditions. Several tests under same conditions were also performed to evaluate the repeatability of tests conducted. The test results indicated that the shear strength at the pipe-soil interface can be affected significantly due to an exposure to seismic vibrations. This paper presents the physical model built and used for the tests, results obtained, and findings of the study.
Chengxi Jiang; Omer Bilgin
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Session 4: Sustainability in geotechnical systems
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-279