Mechanical response of buried water pipes to traffic loading before and after extreme cold waves

Abstract

In recent years, the escalating frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like cold waves have heightened concerns regarding their impact on buried water pipelines, posing notable challenges to urban safety. These pipelines are particularly vulnerable to damage from the extreme low temperatures induced by cold waves, which can lead to significant system failures. This paper investigates the mechanical response of buried water pipelines to traffic loading before and after a cold wave using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Initially, a 3D numerical model was created to simulate the temperature distribution in the soil and buried pipe, utilizing field monitoring data gathered during a cold wave event at Shanghai city of Eastern China. Subsequently, a mechanical analysis of the soil-pipe model was conducted, employing the validated soil and pipe temperature field as predefined fields. The effects of temperature change rate, traffic load type, load position, and burial depth on the pipeline behavior are discussed in detail. The results demonstrated that cold waves significantly impact pipeline stress, an effect that is intensified by increased traffic loads. The peak Mises stress increased by up to 21 % for the 1.0 MPa load, underscoring the role of cold waves in amplifying pipeline stress. Moreover, while cold waves increase pipeline stress and vertical displacement, accelerating the rate of temperature change induced by the cold wave reduces the stress. Traffic load exerts the most significant impact at the bell and spigot joints, with effects remaining consistent regardless of joint position. Shallow-buried pipelines experience more pronounced stress changes in the presence of cold waves and traffic load, with stress increasing by 66.8 % at a depth of 1.5 m. This study demonstrates that the bell and spigot joints of shallow-buried pipes are highly susceptible to cold wave effects, especially under traffic loading, necessitating special attention to this potential failure location during such conditions.