• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.23-32
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• 2023

The seismic performance of buried PE pipes is reported to be favorable due to their exceptional elongation capacity at break. Although a seismic performance evaluation procedure based on the response displacement method has been summarized in Korea for fusion-bonded PE pipes, there is currently no procedure available for mechanically jointed PE pipes. This article aims to present a seismic performance evaluation procedure based on the response displacement method specifically designed for mechanically jointed PE pipes in Korea. When employing the mechanical joining method for PE pipes, it is recommended to adhere to the evaluation procedure established for segment-type pipes. This involves assessing the stress induced by the pipe, the expansion and contraction strain of the joint, and the bending angle of the pipe joint. Furthermore, the coefficient of inhomogeneity of the soil, which is necessary for estimating the axial strain of the ground, is introduced. Additionally, a computation method for determining lateral displacement and reconsolidation settlement in soil susceptible to liquefaction is proposed. As a result of the sensitivity analysis considering the typical soil condition in Korea, the mechanically jointed PE pipe with a certain quality was shown to have good structural seismic safety when soil liquefaction was not considered. This procedure serves as a valuable tool for seismic design and evaluating the seismic performance of mechanically joined buried PE pipes, which are primarily utilized for connecting small-diameter pipes.