Abstract
In this paper, we present the result of an investigation pertaining to the pipe stiffness of buried flexible pipes. Pipe stiffness (PS) formula for the parallel plate loading condition is derived based on the elasticity theory. Vertical and horizontal displacements are also derived. Vertical deflection is always larger than the horizontal deflection because some of energy due to overburden load is stored in the pipe but the difference is negligibly small. In the study, mechanical properties of the flexible pipes produced in the domestic manufacturer are tested and the results are reported in this paper. In addition, pipe stiffness is determined by the parallel plate loading tests and the finite element analysis. The difference between test and analysis is less than 14% although there are significant variations in the mechanical properties of the pipe material. Therefore, it was found that the finite element analysis can be used to predict the pipe stiffness instead of conducting parallel plate loading test.