type and layout arrangement of geosynthetics for enhancing energy dissipation on buried pipes under impact loads

Underground pipes used to transport various goods and materials can face many damage-inducing incidents, such as landslides, extra traffic loading, and rockfall impacts during their service lives. this study investigated the level of protection provided to buried pipes by geosynthetics, focusing on their types and layout arrangements. therefore, the performance of pipes protected with a single or double horizontal layer of geosynthetics and the efficiency of reinforcement arrangements, which involve single or four layers of geosynthetics wrapped around the pipes, were comparatively investigated using a free-fall test apparatus. compared with the case without protection, adding a single horizontal layer of reinforcement reduced the maximum acceleration values measured on the buried pipe by 70–73% in geotextile, geonet 2d, and geonet 3d applications. it was determined that the protection layer contributed more to the protection against impact as the number of layers increased, and the placement approached the surface. double-layer systems performed significantly better in absorbing energy than single-layered systems. the geonet 3d + geotextile layer combination provided the best performance under impact loading and was further improved by shallower placement. © the author(s), under exclusive licence to the iran university of science and technology 2023.