Deflection of a Flexible Pipe using the

Modified Iowa Formula

This application calculates the defletion of a buried horizontal pipe using the Modified Iowa Formula.

Reference
Buried Pipe Design, Third Edition, Moser, A. P.

Pipe Properties

Pipe diameter d d 15 inch

nom

Dimension ratio DR d 35

Pipe outside diameter (av) d d 15.3 inch B dd

OD c OD

Pipe inside diameter d d 14.426 inch

ID

Pipe wall thickness and t d 0.447 inch DR dd / t = 34.228

min OD
dimension ratio
B
c
m1 d = 7.650 in
2

Modulus of elasticity E d 400000 psi

L
Effective length of conduit L d 3 ft nd = 1.500 ft
2
Design deflection limit x d 0.05
max

Service Conditions

Design traffic load P d 16000 lbf

Deflection lag factor D d 1.5

L

Trench width at top of pipe B d 3.5 ft

d

Height of soil cover H d 1.85 ft

at top of pipe
 1.5 H O 0 ft and H % 1 ft

Impact factor 1.35 H O 1 ft and H % 2 ft

Fd
1.15 H O 2 ft and H % 3 ft
3 otherwise

F = 1.350

Bedding constant K d 0.1

b

Trench Backfill Soil Properties

Modulus of soil reaction for K2

E d 400 lbf$inch
trench side fill (Table 3.4, fine SR
grained soil)

Unit weight of trench backfill soil K3

g d 120 lbf$ft
s

Soil type trench_soil d "Wet sand"

0.33$0.5 trench_soil = "Partially compacted damp topsoil"

0.37$0.4 trench_soil = "Saturated topsoil"
Rankine ratio times
friction coefficient 0.33$0.44 trench_soil = "Partially compacted damp clay"
K d
(Table 2.1) 0.37$0.3 trench_soil = "Saturated clay"
0.33$0.5 trench_soil = "Dry sand"
0.33$0.5 trench_soil = "Wet sand"

K = 0.165

Soil Load

K2$K $H/ B
Soil load coefficient d
1Ke
(Marton theory) C d = 0.485
d 2$K

3 kg
Soil load for flexible pipes W d C $g $B $B = 3.791 # 10 lbf
c d s c d 2 g = 120
s s 3
ft
W
Unit soil load c 3
w d = 9.754 # 10 Pa
c B
c
Superimposed Wheel Load

2 2 2
Wheel load coefficient 2 m1 C n C H
C d 1 K $ arcsin H$
s p 2 2 2 2
m1 C H $ n C H

m1$n$H 1 1
K $ C = 0.331
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
m1 C n C H m1 C H n CH

C $P$F
Wheel load s lbf
W d = 2385.967
sc L ft

W
Unit wheel load sc lbf
w d = 12.995
sc B 2
c in

Total Load and Deflection

Total load w d w C w = 14.410 psi

c sc

D $K $w C K $w
Pipe wall deflection L b c b sc
Dx d = 0.048
(modified Iowa formula) pc 2$E
C 0.061$E
3 SR
3$ DR K1
min

"All good" Dx ! x
pc max
Check deflection does not check d
exceed limit "Not good" otherwise

check = "All good"