Rubber tire chips as compressible fill in the installation of buried pipe by induced trench method

Abstract

Over the years, many materials have been used as compressible fill in the installation of pipe by induced trench method. The focus of this senior report is to determine the suitability of rubber tire chips for this purpose. This was accomplished by constructing and testing scaled models in the U.N.B. centrifuge to simulate field conditions. A model pipe was placed in both an embankment condition and an induced trench condition with rubber crumbs used as the compressible fill. The rubber crumbs were used to simulate rubber tire chips in the field. Thrust and bending moments were calculated from strain measurements taken in the model pipe wall during testing. From these test results, it was determined if the induced trench model with the rubber crumbs as the compressible fill experienced a less severe loading condition.