Soil and Traffic Loads on Underground Pipelines

The mechanism of the interaction of soil and an underground pipeline is studied in order to determine the load arising on the pipeline from the pressure due to the backfill soil and automobile traffic. A more accurate calculation is made of the coefficient accounting for the relief of the pipeline by the soil located in the recesses between the trench walls and the pipeline, and the deformation modulus of the backfill soil is evaluated. It is shown that the distribution of the compressive stresses arising in the soil as a result of the surface traffic is similar to that of a uniformly distributed load.