Numerical analysis of an experimental pipe buried in swelling soil

This paper investigates the pipe–soil interaction for pipes buried in expansive soil when subjected to swelling soil movement due to increase in moisture content. A laboratory experiment has been undertaken on a plastic pipe in a large-scale pipe box. A three dimensional numerical model is developed to analyse the pipe response, using FLAC^3D computer program. The pipe is assumed to behave as a linearly elastic material, while the soil is modelled as a nonlinear material with Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion. The water flow and soil/pipe deformations are decoupled, where water flow is calculated using simplified capillary rise theory on the basis of measurements made. A reasonably good agreement between the experimental results and model predictions is reported.