Effects of irregular holes on load-bearing mechanism and capacity in prestressed concrete cylinder pipes

This study investigates the effects of irregular holes on the load-bearing mechanism and capacity of prestressed concrete cylinder pipes (PCCP). An internal pressure test was performed on a PCCP specimen containing multiple irregular holes, and a finite element numerical simulation was conducted to explore the impact of these holes. The results indicated that the presence of irregular holes caused significant anisotropic stress distribution, particularly at the inner wall of the concrete core, with stress concentrations around the holes. Cracks were initiated near the spigot end and propagated axially as the internal pressure increased. The load-bearing process of the PCCP evolved in three stages: (1) the prestressed wires bore the majority of the load, (2) the concrete began sustaining a portion of the load as it experienced tensile stress, and (3) the concrete underwent plastic damage, transferring the load to the steel cylinder and prestressed wires. The internal pressure of PCCP model with multiple irregular holes associated with the serviceability limit-states was 0.23 MPa, representing only 26.4 % of the intact model, which was 0.87 MPa. However, the difference in ultimate load-bearing capacity between the two models was minimal. These findings underscore the necessity of timely repairs to prevent the worsening of erosion in PCCPs with irregular holes.