FIELD VERIFICATION OF RING COMPRESSION CONDUIT DESIGN

A LOADING-TO-FAILURE TEST WAS CONDUCTED BY ARMCO-THYSSEN TO PROVIDE SCIENTIFIC DATA ON THE BEHAVIOR OF CORRUGATED STEEL STRUCTURES UNDER LOADING CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY TO DETERMINE UNDER WHAT LOAD THE STRUCTURE WOULD FINALLY COLLAPSE AND HOW THIS COLLAPSE DEVELOPED. THE LIVE-LOAD TEST WAS CONDUCTED TO PROVE TO THE GERMAN FEDERAL RAILWAY THAT LARGE CORRUGATED STEEL STRUCTURES ARE SAFE FOR USE AS CONDUITS AND UNDERPASSES IN RAILWAY EMBANKMENTS. THE TEST STRUCTURE WAS A 7-GAGE MULTI-PLATE PIPE ARCH OF 20-FT 7-IN. SPAN AND 13-FT 2-IN. RISE, ARMCOS LARGEST STRUCTURE OF THIS SHAPE. THE COVER HEIGHT AND THE POSITIONING OF THE LOAD WERE VARIED ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT TEST PURPOSES. SINCE THE COVER WAS LOW AND THE LIVE LOAD WAS FAIRLY SMALL, THE WALL THICKNESS WAS NOT DETERMINED BY RING-COMPRESSION METHODS BUT BY EMPIRICAL DATA APPLYING TO THE STRUCTURE DURING BACKFILLING. THUS THE WALL THICKNESS WAS DESIGNED BY THE FLEXIBILITY FACTOR. STRAIN MEASUREMENTS WERE TAKEN WITH STRAIN GAGE STRIPS INSTALLED AT EACH OF SIX MEASURING POINTS IN TWO SECTIONAL PLANES. THREE HEIERLI PRESSURE CELLS WERE INSTALLED IN BACKFILL IN A HORIZONTAL PLACE ABOVE THE PIPE ARCH. UNDER A LOAD OF 850 TONS, TWO INWARD BULGES BEGAN TO DEVELOP ON EACH SIDE OF THE CREST. THE LARGE INCREASE IN DEFORMATIONS CAME TO A STANDSTILL IN THE COURSE OF THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FIRST LAYER OF SLABS WAS RESTING FIRMLY AGAINST THE SOIL AS A RESULT OF SETTLING OF THE TIES AND SAGGING OF THE SLABS. WALL PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS WERE MADE AND AVERAGE DISTRIBUTION OF WALL PRESSURES COMPUTED.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1966/116/116-004.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Demmin, J
• Discussers:
  • Spangler, M G
  • Demmin, J
• Publication Date: 1966

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 36-86
• Monograph Title: Culverts and storm drains
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 116
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Compression tests; Conduits; Corrugations (Defects); Design; Embankments; Failure; Field tests; Height; Instruments for measuring loads or pressure; Load cells; Load tests; Loads; Measurement; Positioning; Pressure; Railroads; Steel structures; Strain gages; Strain measurement; Thickness; Underpasses; Walls
• Geographic Terms: Germany
• Old TRIS Terms: Armco-thyssen; Cover; Flexibility factor; Pressure measurement; Ring compression and flexibility factor
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203946
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 18 1994 12:00AM