Structural Stability and Mechanical Analysis of PVC Pipe Jacking under Axial Force

PVC pipe jacking is prone to cause yielding or buckling under the jacking force and may lead to engineering failure. The relationship between the buckling modes, ultimate bearing capacity, different diameter–thickness ratios, and length–diameter ratios of PVC pipe jacking under different load forms was analyzed. The calculation methods for allowable jacking force and the single allowable jacking distance are obtained through theoretical analysis and three-dimensional finite elements. The buckling mode of the pipe under uniform load changes from symmetric buckling to asymmetric buckling and then to the overall Euler buckling form as the length–diameter ratio increases. The ultimate bearing capacity of the pipe approaches the theoretical value of yield failure when L/D ≤ 6. For L/D > 6, the pipe undergoes buckling, and the ultimate bearing capacity determined by the axial buckling value and the buckling load can be calculated according to the long pipe theory formula when L/D > 8.5. Under eccentric loads, the failure mode transitions from local failure to Euler buckling with increasing pipe length. The ultimate bearing capacity of pipe is obviously lower than that of uniform load, but as the length–diameter ratio increases, this difference decreases until it becomes consistent.

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