Experimental puncture loads for external interference of pipelines by excavator equipment

A series of puncture experiments is presented for penetration of steel pipelines by excavator bucket teeth. Static puncture forces are obtained for pipes of 4.8-6.9 mm wall thickness, for a variety of different tooth geometries; primarily small cross-section or sharp tooth types have been used. Experimental results for varying tooth orientations are also presented. The results are compared against finite element simulations of the problem and against previously derived puncture relationships. The experiments provide good verification for the use of a simple puncture force equation that can be used for pipeline risk assessment purposes.