Experimental strain analysis for polyethylene pipes installed by horizontal directional drilling

摘要

The results of five field tests on instrumented polyethylene (PE) pipes installed using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) are presented in the paper. The focus is on mechanical behavior of pipes, their stiffness, strength and deformations. The testing methodology is presented and correlation between different readings is discussed. The test results are presented in a form of pipe strains along the borepaths and vs. time of installation. The test program involved 200 mm (8 inch) diameter, standard dimension ratio (SDR) 17 and 150 mm (6 inch) diameter, SDR 11, high density and medium density polyethylene pipes pulled along 90 and 177 m borepaths. The parameters were the quality of the drilling fluids, the ratio of borehole to pipe diameters, pipe material, and construction sequence. The presented results show the variation of pipe strains with time and along the borepath. Strain gauge readings indicate both flexural and axial deformations. Included in the paper are also readings from a load cell indicating the value of the pulling force. The experimental results are analyzed in terms of different mechanisms that contribute to the increase of the pulling forces and straining of the pipe. Influence of the field test parameters is presented. Conclusions are drawn on the effects of the mechanisms and test parameters on the pipe mechanical behavior.