Experimental and numerical evaluation of the impact of folds on the pressure rating of CIPP liners

A cast-iron water main rehabilitated with a thermoplastic structural liner can be viewed as a hybrid pipe. Depending on the degree of corrosion of the host pipe, stress levels carried by the liner may vary significantly. Several limit states can be developed for a liner-pipe structural system. One such state is related to the presence of a longitudinal fold in a cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) liner that coincides with gaps in the host pipe’s wall. This paper reports the results of an experimental testing and numerical modeling study undertaken to evaluate the impact of a longitudinal fold on the ability of a CIPP liner to resist internal pressures when there are significant gaps present in the host pipe’s wall. Two 3-D numerical models were constructed and validated using physical testing and the analytical solutions provided in ASTM F 2207-02. The results of a parametric study performed to estimate the stress concentration in the fold as a function of the fold’s geometry and level of applied internal pressure are also reported. An empirical approach is proposed as a basis for a guideline regarding the maximum allowable oversizing of CIPP liners in pressure pipes.