Simulation of explosions of pressurised pipes in geosynthetic reinforced embankments

This paper presents the results of a study on the use of geosynthetic reinforced embankments for the protection of buried pressurised pipes by means of laboratory tests. The expansion of a pipe inside reinforced and unreinforced sand was simulated in models studies in the laboratory using a large rigid steel tank. Different types and configurations of geosynthetics were tested including woven geotextiles, geogrids and metallic reinforcements. The scale of the models in the laboratory was 1:5 and the series of the tests involved a continuous expansion of the pipe walls (thin rubber membrane) until failure of the soil mass was achieved. The results obtained showed a significant influence of the presence of the reinforcement on the pressure in the pipe, depending on reinforcement type and arrangement, and the potential use of reinforced embankments to protect pressurized pipes.