Anderson, Loren Runar et al "RING STIFFNESS"

Structural Mechanics of Buried Pipes

Boca Raton: CRC Press LLC,2000

Figure 8-1 Typical stress-strain diagram from laboratory tests showing:

E = modulus of elasticity = slope within the elastic zone
E" = stiffness = slope at any point on the graph,
or the average slope of the cord in some stress range such as A to B

Figure 8-2 Comparison of a leaf spring and a cylindrical spring showing the stiffness F/D for each.
For the ring, F/D is called pipe stiffness and EI/D3 is called ring stiffness.

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CHAPTER 8 RING STIFFNESS

It is noteworthy that analyses of ring deformation
and ring deflection, Chapters 3 and 7, require a
property of material called stiffness. Stiffness is
defined as resistance to deflection. Figure 8-1
shows a typical stress-strain diagram. The abscissa
is strain which is deflection per unit length. The
ordinate is stress which is load per unit area and
which is resistance of the material to strain. Such
diagrams come from laboratory tests. Stiffness of
the material is the slope, E, of the stress-strain
diagram at any particular point at any particular
stress. Stress-strain diagrams can be provided for
shearing stress-strain as well as normal stress-strain.
The initial linear portion of the diagram is the elastic
zone within which stress causes no permanent
deformation. The material rebounds elastically. The
slope, which is constant, is called the modulus of
elasticity.
Notation:
E = modulus of elasticity or stiffness,
E = slope of the stress-strain diagram,
s = normal stress (or shearing stress t ),
e = normal strain (or shearing strain g ),
I = centroidal moment of inertia of the crosssectional area (of the wall per unit length in
the case of a pipe),
L = length (as of a leaf spring),
D = mean diameter of the ring,
t = wall thickness of the ring (or crosssectional area A per unit length of pipe).
F = concentrated load (diametral line load
per unit length in the case of a pipe)
The concept of stiffness is easily extended to a
spring. See Figure 8-2. The leaf spring on the left
is deflected a vertical distance by load F. The
spring stiffness is the slope of the F/ diagram and
is equal to F/ = 48EI/L3. See texts on mechanics
of materials. An interesting comparison can be
drawn between the leaf spring and a circular spring,
or ring, on the right. The leaf spring is analogous to
the circular spring which, from Appendix A, has a
s pring stiffness of F/ = 53.77EI/D3. (Sp)ring
stiffness is similar in form to the leaf spring stiffness.

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It contains the term, EI/D3, which shows up in every

analysis of ring deformation and deflection. EI/D3 is
an important form of spring stiffness. For a pipe
with a rectangular wall cross section, I = t3/12, the
ring stiffness becomes F/D = 4.48E/(D/t)3. D/t is
another form of ring stiffness. Stiffness can be
expressed in a variety of ways:
EQUIVALENT
QUANTITIES
NOMENCLATURE
F/D
Pipe Stiffness
= 53.77 (EI/D3)
Ring Stiffness, EI/D3
= 4.48 E(t/D)3
where D/t = m-TERM
= 4.48 E/(DR-1)3
where DR = (OD)/t
= Dimension Ratio

Units of stiffness can be reconciled by noting that

both I and F are per unit length of pipe. In terms of
basic dimensions, stiffnesses are:
STIFFNESS
RING = (EI/D3) FL-2(L4/L)L-3 = FL-2
PIPE = (F/D) (F/L)L-1
= FL-2
FL-2 is the correct dimension for stiffness of
material. Many properties of materials have the
dimension FL-2. Check out, for example, strength,
and bulk modulus. The m-term (D/t) and the
dimension ratio (DR) are not properties of material
until multiplied by E, which has the dimension FL-2.
In pipe analysis, EI is sometimes referred to as wall
stiffness. In fact, EI is not a true stiffness because
its dimension is not FL-2.
Beyond the zone of elasticity, stiffness E is still the
slope of the F/D diagram. However, it is no longer
a constant. From the stress-strain diagram of Figure
8-1, if the material is stressed to its ultimate where
the slope is zero, it loses all stiffness and simply
flows. In the case of pipe stiffness, F/D often
extends beyond the zone of elasticity. This is true,
in particular, of plastic pipes including metals
which act as plastics after reaching yield stress. For
some materials F/D is affected by temperature
and/or time. Pipe stiffness, F/D, is preferred by
plastic pipe industries because it can

Figure 8-3 Two methods of testing for pipe stiffness F/) .

Figure 8-4 Plots of data from two parallel plate tests on a 4-inch PVC sewer pipe.

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be measured by a parallel plate test. To perform the

test, a length of pipe, usually longer than one
diameter, on a flat surface is F-loaded as shown in
Figure 8-3. As load F is applied in increments,
corresponding deflections, D, are measured. The
plot of F vs D provides F/D values (pipe stiffness)
within any load limits based on temperature and time
(rate of loading) of the test. A similar test is the
three-edge-bearing (TEB) test. See Figure 8-3.
Double supports on the bottom position the pipe. For
purposes of analysis, the TEB test is equivalent to
a parallel plate test. It is the basis of design of rigid
pipes. Plastic pipes are designed by pipe stiffness
defined as slope of the secant from the origin to the
point of five percent ring deflection on the F vs
D plot.
Figure 8-4 is a plot of data from two parallel plate
tests on a 4"PVC sewer pipe. The pipe stiffness
(slope F/D) is not constant. Ring deflection is
usually limited by specification to a maximum of 5%,
which justifies the slope of a secant from the origin
to five percent strain; i.e., F/D = 85 psi.
Based on values for F/D, plastic pipe industries can
evaluate the DR-term, the stiffness ratio, Rs, etc.
For example, if E must be modified to serve in a
different temperature than the parallel plate test, an
adjusted value can be found for stiffness ratio, Rs =
E'D3/EI, in predicting ring deflection.
Other pipe industries have their reasons for using
F/D. The seams in riveted pipes or lock seams in
spiral pipes allow enough slippage to affect EI/D3.
The stiffness of mortar lined and/or coated pipes is
affected by hairline cracking of the mortar.
Reinforced concrete pipes defy analysis of Rs, et c .
Plastic pipe industries favor the use of dimension
ratio, DR, which is defined as the ratio of average
outside diameter to minimum wall thickness. The
outside diameter is held constant in the extrusion
machine. Wall thickness is varied for the class of
pipe (wall strength) to be produced. Steel pipe
industries favor the use of the m-term which is
defined as the ratio of the wall thickness to the
mean diameter. Steel industries often use the
inverse D/t-term, which is called ring flexibility.

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Ring stiffness (EI/D 3) is preferred by the steel

industries. E is a constant. Values for I can be
calculated. Because D and t describe pipes, D/t
finds its way into much ring deflection analysis.
For corrugated pipes, tables of values are published
for moments of inertia, I. With I, E, and D known,
the ring stiffness, EI/D3, can be calculated. Parallel
plate tests, or TEB tests, on corrugated pipes are a
check against calculated ring stiffness, and often
reveal differences. If ring stiffness is critical, tests
can verify or modify the calculated values. Lengths
of test pipes should be greater than one diameter.
Short test sections tend to twist, especially spirally
corrugated pipes.

Example 1
Figure 8-5 shows the results of parallel plate tests on
spiral corrugated pipe. What is the difference
between calculated ring stiffness and measured ring
stiffness? From the F-D plot, F/D = 100 psi. From
the relationship, F/D = 53.77(EI/D3).
Measured EI/D3 = 1.9 psi.
Calculated EI/D3 = 3.7 psi from the following:
E = 30(106) psi
D = 24.57 inches from Figure 8-5
I = 1.892(10 -3) in4/in from the AISI Handbook
of Steel Drainage & Highway
Construction Products.
The measured value of ring stiffnes s is only about
half the calculated theoretical value for this pipe.
Example 2
Suppose the ring of Example 1 is deflected so much
that the graph of Figure 8-5 is no longer linear. Ring
stiffness is the slope of the tangent to the F-D plot at
the anticipated ring deflection. If the ring deflects
over a range, the ring stiffness is the slope of the
cord between the ends of the range of ring
deflection. It must be pointed out, Ring deflection
based only on elastic ring stiffness is not a
pertinent performance limit.

Figure 8-5 Parallel plate test of a 24 D, 2-2/3x1/2 corrugated steel, spiral lock-seam pipe.

Figure 8-6 Three-edge-bearing test of a cement-mortar-lined/cement-mortar-coated thin-wall steel pipe

(CML/CMC). The lining is spun centrifugally on the inside. The coating is shot-crete with wire reinforcing.

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PROBLEMS
8-1 Figure 8-4 is an F-D diagram for a 4-inch PVC
sewer pipe DR30. Compare the measured pipe
s tiffness F/D and pipe stiffness calculated from
published values of E = 400 ksi to 500 ksi.
8-2 Figure 8-6 is an F- diagram for CML/CMC
pipe which was handled with care before testing.
At each drop of the load-deflection diagram,
cracking was audible and hair cracks appeared.
What should be the pipe stiffness for design
purposes? What conditions should be specified?
(F/D = 450 psi)
8-3 Figure 8-7 is the result of a parallel plate test
on spiral rib steel pipe. What is pipe stiffness?
(F/D = 72 psi)

8-4 Using average D, calculate ring stiffness EI/D3

for a reinforced concrete pipe if:
ID
=60 inches = inside diameter,
OD
= 72 inches = outside diameter,
Es
= 30(106) psi = steel modulus,
Ec
= 2(106) psi = concrete modulus.
Reinforcing steel compris es 3/8-inch rebar hoops
rods in the center of the wall spaced at 3 inches.
Assume that concrete takes no tension.
(EI/D3 = 16 psi)
8-5 Calculate ring stiffness of the pipe for Problem
8-4 if two cages of 3/8-inch rods are spaced at 3
inches, but located 1.0 inch from the inside and
outside surfaces.
Assume concrete takes no
tension. What about average D?
(55psi)
THIS PROBLEM SHOWS WHY RCP PIPE IS
DESIGNED B Y TEB TESTS AND F/ D NOT
BY RING STIFFNESS, EI/D 3.

Figure 8-7 Load deflection diagram for a spiral-rib pipe showing an initial zero correction such that the linear
plot will pass through the origin.
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