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Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
Available online 19 October 2022
2214-5095/© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Feasibility study of steel reinforcement of polyethylene corrugated
horizontal pipe for on-site underground water storage tanks and
their applications
Trinet Yingsamphancharoen
a
, Keeratikan Piriyakul
b
,
*
a
Center of Welding Engineering and Metallurgical Inspection, Science and Technology Research Institute, and Department of Welding Engineering
Technology, College of Industrial Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok 10800, Thailand
b
Center of Excellence in Structural Dynamics and Urban Management, Science and Technology Research Institute, and Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering Technology, College of Industrial Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok 10800,
Thailand
ARTICLE INFO
Keywords:
High-density polyethylene (HDPE)
Steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipes
Storage tank
Galvanized steel
ABSTRACT
This research studied the process of manufacturing horizontal groundwater storage tanks from
steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipes. The surfaces, galvanized at carbon steel and
polyethylene, are bonded using an extrusion process. Welding was done using a plastic electro-
fusion welding method. The tank was tested for mechanical integrity and leakage to determine
its feasibility in an actual application. Testing showed no leakage. A contamination test showed
that water stored in the tank contained dissolved substances, but in low enough concentrations
that the water passed the testing criteria. The tank deformation test showed that the maximum
deformation of the tank in an on-site compression test was less than 7 mm for all cases involving
static and dynamic loading of 24 tonnes, according to industrial standards. The results show that
it is possible to use an underground steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated water tank with
plastic welding in real-world applications.
1. Introduction
Thailand is faced with water management problems, especially water shortages in the summer. Droughts occur mainly due to the
seasonal nature of rainfall. With uneven distribution of rainwater throughout the year, there are water shortages during the hot season
(February-June). In the rainy season, ooding occurs in many areas, which affects the livelihood of many people. Therefore, water
resource management must be developed to meet the needs of the Thai people for water throughout the year. Underground water
storage tanks are suitable for houses with limited space. The most popular types are concrete and plastic water storage tanks installed
underground using a foundation pile and pouring a concrete base to support the tank. However, installers face installation problems
because laying a short foundation pile and concrete base hinders other construction processes. Further construction on the top of the
water storage must be treated carefully to account for structural weight. Beams may be overloaded causing cracks that affect the
structure. This increases installation costs. To solve these problems, a horizontal underground water storage tank made from steel
reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipes can be installed without laying a foundation pile and showed in Fig. 1. The installer only
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: keeratikan.p@cit.kmutnb.ac.th (K. Piriyakul).
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Case Studies in Construction Materials
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/cscm
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e01578
Received 19 June 2022; Received in revised form 8 October 2022; Accepted 14 October 2022
Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
2
pours a concrete base to provide strength to withstand compression loads. This type of water storage tank is conveniently placed and
requires less installation time. It does not delay on-going construction processes, as do placement of concrete and plastic underground
water storage tanks.
Polyethylene (PE) is a thermoplastic material. It can be classied as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) or high-density polyethylene
(HDPE) [1]. They reviewed the issue of service-life expectancy of HDPE pipes and showed many advantages and disadvantages for the
long-term testing methods. The properties of the polyethylene miter pipe were studied intensively [2–7]. Tarek et al. [2] investigated
the effect of crack depth on the plastic load of miter pipe bends under in-plane bending moment. The properties of PE include high
strength and corrosion resistance in applications such as plumbing pipes and water containers, among others. A group of scientists [3]
studied on the effect of load angle on limit load of polyethylene miter pipe bends and found that the highest limit load value appeared
at a loading angle of 60 degree. Moreover, a group of researchers [4] investigated the effect of loading mode and load angle on the limit
load of miter pipe bends under different crack depths. Their results showed that increasing the crack depth leads to a decrease in the
stiffness and limit load. The toughness behaviour of polyethylene pipe was studied a group of engineers [5] and found that the
stress-intensity factor was increased with increasing the crosshead speed and was decreased as the specimen thickness increased. A
group of researchers [6] investigated the effect of loading rate on the welded and unwelded polyethylene pipes and found that the
crosshead speed and specimen congurations have a signicant effect on the mechanical behavior of both welded and unwelded
specimens. A group of mechanical engineers [7] investigated the effect of strain rate and the thickness on the polyethylene pipe
materials and their results showed that the crosshead speed has a signicant effect on the fracture toughness. Scientists [8] examined
the effect of titanium dioxide on the properties of polyethylene nanocomposites and found that the tensile testing results showed the
improvement of the mechanical properties in comparison with the original one. A group of engineers [9] studied on the elastic and
viscoelastic behaviour of sandwich panels with glass-bre reinforced polymer faces and the polyethylene terephthalate foam core.
They found that the composite creep modelling predictions were accurate showing the relative contributions between the shear
deformation and the bending moment. A group of polymer engineers [10–12] investigated the creep of Plantian Fibre Reinforced
HDPE (PFRHDPE) and its applications. They found that the creep responses of this PFRHDPE exhibited of unrelaxed and relaxed
moduli at elevated temperatures. The creep strain of PFRHDPE material increases with increase in time while the creep modulus
decreases with increase in time. An academic research team [13] manufactured the shape memory polymers and used in concrete for
crack closure. This new device could incorporate into concrete very well and was shown to be able to close cracks and exural
strengths. A group of civil engineers [14] developed the ultrahigh-strength ultrahigh-toughness cementitious composite (UHS-UHTCC)
using polyethylene and steel bers. They emphasized this new material has signicantly higher mechanical strength but lower tensile
strain capacity. Many researches used the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images and the Non-Destructive Tests (NDT) to reveal
the nanostructure of these construction materials in comparing with mechanical strength properties [15–17].
However, in this research, only high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was examined. HDPE is commonly used for pipes in waterworks.
This material is resistant to chemical corrosion [18,19]. Additionally, it contains no contaminants and can withstand pressures of up to
25 bars over its 30–50 year service life [20]. Polyethylene for drinking water pipes is a high-density polyethylene resin that is fused
with additives to improve its physical properties. According to ISO 9080 and TIS 982–2556 standards, HDPE has a density that is not
less than 950 kg/m
3
. The minimum required strength of this material is 10 MPa for PE 80 and 8 MPa for PE 100 grade HDPE with a
lifetime of 50 years at a 20 ◦C operating temperature. A group of tunnel engineers [21] studied on the mechanical response of buried
HDPE double-wall corrugated pipe under trafc-sewage coupling load. A 3D model by ABAQUS and ANSYS was compared with the
prototype. It was found that the deformation of the HDPE pipe is depended on three factors; backll compaction, sewage volume and
ow speed. The backll compaction determines the approximate distribution of pipe strain, while sewage reduces the strain on the
inner wall. The sewage causes the tensile strain of the inner wall near the invert, increasing the local bending. The HDPE pipe strain is
increased due to creep and is developed a local bending. A group of scientists [22] investigated the effect of trafc load on the me-
chanical characteristics of HDPE double wall corrugated pipe with the numerical and experimental investigation. Pipe bed, depth,
backll compaction, type of pavement and trafc load are the major factors that effect on the stress and deformation of the HDPE pipe.
It was observed that trafc load has little inuence on the mechanical of the HDPE pipe. The Von-Mises stress of HDPE pipe mainly
depended on the magnitude and speed of the trafc load. Steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipe refers to polyethylene
corrugated pipes that are strengthened using steel with a V-shaped or U-shaped (helical U-shaped) cross-section inside the plastic body
of the pipe, as depicted in Fig. 2. The reinforced pipe wall can be a single-wall, double-wall and triple-wall design [23,24]. The in-
dustrial standards for steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipe cover sizes ranging from 200 mm to 3000 mm. It is used for
Fig. 1. Underground HDPE water storage tank.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
3
underground pipelines that have little internal pressure, such as drains and pipes collecting wastewater. A group of researchers [25]
studied on the effects of welding methods, with and without preheat conditions by visual, radiographic inspections and crystalline
analysis. It was found that the preheat welding condition presented complete fusion of weld without any defects, while the non-preheat
welding condition showed many voids inside the weld. The welded steel-reinforced polyethylene pipe (SRPE) for a water-containing
tank could tolerate hydrostatic pressure of about 0.18 MPa without any water leakage. A group of engineers [26] investigated the SRPE
pipe eld installation. Four SRPE pipes with a diameter of 0.61 m and 2.13 m in length were installed in the trench with 1.52 m in
width, 9.15 m in length and 1.4 m in depth. Two types of backll material were used. One is Aggregate Base Class 3 (AB3) and crushed
stone. It was observed that the SRPE pile performed well in those two backll materials and found no any damage. The principles of
plastic electro fusion welding are the same as for steel welding [27]. However, the plastics do not melt at welding temperature. A liquid
plastic wave is generated when the workpiece is instantaneously heated, so plastic welding requires a preheating process. The joint
must be preheated until the liquid plastic temperature is near its decomposition temperature (DT). Then, pressure is applied to a
welding wire made of the same material as the workpiece. However, it is very difcult to heat plastics due to their poor heat con-
duction. Excessive heat will burn plastic surfaces. The temperature change curve guidelines shown in Fig. 3 must be followed to obtain
good welds. The curve in this gure depicts weld temperature as measured from the surface of the weld into the depth of the
workpiece. It is recommended that the lowest possible slope on this curve be used to obtain good welds. First, the properties of the
galvanized at carbon steel that will be used must be checked to determine compliance with the Thai Industrial Standards (TIS),
according to the TIS 2223–2558 standard [28]. The precision requirement for thickness is +0.05 mm and +70 mm for width. The
minimum required tensile strength is dened by TIS 2223–2558 as 270 MPa with a minimum 37% elongation. The inside of the
reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipe has a smooth surface but the outside of the pipe is made of corrugated reinforcing steel. The
corrugated outer surface is coated with high density polyethylene to prevent corrosion. The corrugation, dimensions and character-
istics of steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipes are given by the TIS 2764–2559 standard. The storage tank dimensions include
a diameter of 2800 mm with a length of 3200 mm, providing a volume capacity of 20000 liters. The physical dimensions of the tank are
given in Table 1. Before determination of the welding parameters, sample HDPE pipes were welded using a hot air extrusion process at
170 ºC, 215 ºC and 260 ºC. Then, destructive testing was done to determine the best parameter values for steel reinforced polyethylene
corrugated pipes in this application.
Many previous studies compared the laboratory results and the numerical modelling predictions on the behaviour of HDPE under
loading. Rueda et al. [29] assessed the mechanical response of HDPE linear undergoing bucking collapse by using the nite element
modeling (FEM). It was noted that their model predictions allowed establishing the relationship between the collapse stress and the
tube depressurization velocity. A research group in material engineering [30] studied on a butt-welding technology for joining
polyethylene pipe by thermodynamic analysis. The results showed the detail process mechanism and presented the successful
application to the HDPE pipe repairs. First, a polyethylene coating was applied to a at galvanized carbon steel surface. A galvanized
at carbon steel coil was used that was certied in compliance with the TIS 2223–2558 standard. The galvanized at carbon steel was
preheated to 150 ◦C to allow the polyethylene to adhere to its surface. This temperature must be maintained before coating with
polyethylene. Polyethylene was then coated on the surface of galvanized at carbon steel at 190 ◦C and allowed to cool with the aid of
an air blower before storage until further use, as illustrated in Fig. 4. After that, the coated carbon steel was extruded to form pipes as
designed. Property testing of steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipes fabricated using an extrusion process was according to the
TIS 2764–2559 standard. Tension testing was done to determine the maximum tensile strength and elongation of specimens using a
universal testing machine according to the ISO 9969 standard. For compression testing, the test specimens were kept in a
temperature-controlled storage room at 23 ±2◦C according to ISO 17025. The results of compression testing and material dimensions
are summarized in Table 2. The process used to weld polyethylene pipes employed a hot air extruder [31]. Steel reinforced poly-
ethylene corrugated pipes were prepared using a tungsten active gas (TAG) welding process that joins the ends of two pipes. The
welding machines joined the external pipe joints at 200 ◦C in 3–5 min. The internal pipe joints were welded at 300 ◦C with control of
the wire at around 200–220 ◦C. Both internal and external tank covers were welded at a speed of 3.5 mm/min, as depicted in Fig. 5.
The weld quality was checked visually in accordance with ASME Code Section V standards. A leak test was done according to TIS
982–2556. In the leak test procedure, water fully lled the tank and was left for seven days. During this period, the water level and the
weld lines was checked for water leakage every two days. If there is no leakage or the amount of water did not decrease, the leakage test
was satisfactory. The quality and contamination of the water inside the tank is also checked at an ambient temperature of 25 ±5◦C
Fig. 2. Single wall V-shaped steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipe.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
4
and relative humidity 50 ±20% according to TIS 982–2556. The smell, taste and color of the water must not change and the com-
pounds extracted from the water must not exceed specied criteria. A group of scientists [32] investigated the structural performance
of reinforced strain hardening cementitious composite pipes under loading. They found that these pipes were an ultra-high tensile
ductility material which has a potential to be classied as a type of semi-rigid pipe. Bildik and Laman [33] studied on the contribution
of single and multiple layers of geogrids to bearing capacity and stress behaviour. The results showed the efcient use of the
appropriate geogrid capacity. A group of researchers [34] studied on the numerical behaviour of buried exible pipes in
Fig. 3. Single wall V-shaped steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipe.
Table 1
Reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipe dimensions.
Size (NSP) Mean internal diameter
(mm)
Mean external diameter
(mm)
Corrugated length
(mm)
Wall thickness
(mm)
Tensile strength
(MPa)
Min max
2800 2801 ±5 3006 ±5 236 ±5 4.5 7.0 0.40
Fig. 4. Polyethylene coating on the surface of galvanized at carbon steel.
Table 2
Deformation testing results and the dimensions of steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipes.
Size
(mm)
Mean internal
diameter
(mm)
Mean external
diameter
(mm)
Curve
length
(mm)
Wall
Thickness
(mm)
Minimum
thickness
(mm)
Minimum tensile
strength
(MPa)
Mass to length ratio
(kg/m)
Min Max One
wall
Double
wall
2800 2801 ±5 3006 ±5 235 ±12 13.0 17.6 0.40 0.4 240 469
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
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geogrid-reinforced soil under cyclic loading. It was emphasized that more than two geogrid-layers formed a heavily reinforced system
of higher stiffness and experienced the maximum strain at the upper layer while increasing the amplitude of cyclic loading resulted in a
strain redistribution process with a maximum strain at the second layer. A group of civil engineers [35] investigated the effect of an
expanded polystyrene (EPS) block-geogrid system to protect the HDPE buried pipes. It was noted that the density, width and thickness
of the EPS blocks have an impacted role in improving the behaviour of HDPE buried pipes. A group of academics [36] investigated the
Effect of geogrid reinforcement on soil - structure - pipe interaction in terms of bearing capacity, settlement and stress distribution. The
contribution of single and multiple layers of geogrids to bearing capacity and stress behavior were depended on the depth of the rst
geogrid, the vertical spacing between the geogrid layers and the number of geogrid layers on the bearing capacity and settlement
behavior of soil and stress distribution on geogrid and pipe. It was noted that the contribution of the geogrid on the soil-structure-pipe
interaction has been observed together with the stress distribution on the geogrid contributed to the efcient use of the appropriate
geogrid capacity. Engineer researchers [37] studied on the numerical behaviour of buried exible pipes in geogrid-reinforced soil
under cyclic loading. By using 3D nite element models, the behaviour of buried exible high-density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes was
executed in unreinforced and multi-geogrid-reinforced sand beds, while varying pipe burial depth, number of geogrid-layers, and
magnitude of applied cyclic loading. It was found that HDPE pipe burial depth increase contributed to decreasing deformations and the
crown pressure until reaching an optimum value of pipe burial depth. Researchers [38] studied on the experimental evaluation of an
expanded polystyrene (EPS) block-geogrid system to protect buried unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) pipes with a diameter of
160 mm. These pipes were unreinforced and reinforced trenches by a single layer of HDPE geogrid and expanded polystyrene (EPS)
geofoam block, subjected to 500 cycles of repeated load with an amplitude and frequency of 450 kPa and 0.33 Hz respectively. It was
observed that the density, width and thickness of implemented EPS blocks have an impact role in improving the behavior of buried
pipes. It was noted that geogrid reinforcement with an EPS block with density of 30 kg/m
3
, thickness of 60 mm and width of 1.5 times
the pipe diameter showed the most benet. A group of civil engineers [39] investigated the structural performance of two buried
exible sewer pipes positioned one over another one in a single trench by 3D FEM validated with laboratory data. A modied
Drucker–Prager cap soil constitutive model was used and found that this approach mitigates the strain on the smaller pipe and de-
creases the total deections. Using the TIS 982–2556 test procedure, a truck was prepared for testing and instrumentation was installed
for measuring the breakage a water hose pipe while the truck is running. In the truck preparation phased, the distances between the
front wheels and the front, middle and rear back wheels were measured to determine positions of the measuring devices to determine
subsidence and deformation on the tank. Measuring devices were installed at two points inside the pipe, and the testing results are
shown in Figs. 8–11. The installation points were determined according to the positions of the passing wheels. In the testing phase, the
load was applied using the truck in two different directions, which are the lateral and the longitudinal axes of the tank. The load was
also applied both statically, where truck is at rest, and dynamically, when the truck is moving. Then, the data were collected by a data
logger and analyzed in terms of deformation and time variation.
In the current research, steel-reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipe was used to fabricate horizontal underground water storage
tanks due to its advantageous properties. Before fabrication, destructive testing of selected specimens was done under the loading
expected in these systems. The weldability and mechanical properties of test specimens were assessed. Welding was done according to
specied welding procedures and standards. Testing was done at three temperatures, 170 ºC, 215 ºC and 260 ºC. The specimens were
then subjected to tensile strength, compressive resistance, and hydrostatic testing. This was done to determine the best parameters to
use steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated pipes in water tanks. After fabrication, specimen quality was observed and adherence to
Fig. 5. Internal and external tank cover welding.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
6
production standards veried. Then, the mechanical properties of specimens were evaluated in compression testing to the Thai In-
dustrial Standards (TIS) in an on-site application. Finally, the collected data was evaluated and the results were used to determine the
feasibility of this system in real-word applications.
2. Water storage tank installation
The steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated water storage tank was installed as depicted in the Fig. 6a and the prole is showed in
Fig. 6b and Table 3. The laterite soil is used as a backlling material with the density of 1650 kg/m
3
, the elastic modulus of 5 MPa, the
angle of internal friction of 35 degree, the cohesion 15 kPa, the Poisson’s ratio of 0.30 and the compaction degree of 90 %. In the
similar way, the compacted sand was a medium coarse sand with the density of 1650 kg/m
3
, the elastic modulus of 5 MPa, the angle of
internal friction of 28 degree, the cohesion 15 kPa, the Poisson’s ratio of 0.25 and the compaction degree of 90 %. The in-situ soil has
the density of 2020 kg/m
3
, the elastic modulus of 30 MPa, the angle of internal friction of 28 degree, the cohesion 20 kPa and the
Poisson’s ratio of 0.30.
3.6 m
3.2 m
Inner Dia. 2.8m
4.8 m
1.0 m
0.2 m
0.2 m
Back Fill
Compacted Sand
Concrete
Asphal�c concrete 0.05 m
HDPE Tank
a
L=10.0 m
L1=4.5 m
4.8 m
1.0 m
0.2 m
0.2 m
Asphal�c concrete 0.05 m
Compacted Sand
Concrete Compacted Sand
HDPE Tank
Back Fill
3.0 m
b
Fig. 6. Installation design of the HDPE water storage tank a) cross section b) prole.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
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7
3. Test load application
3.1. Tensile load application
Tensile strength testing was done in accordance with ISO 527–1. Starting with the measurement of the specimen dimensions using
vernier calipers, the obtained values were entered into a test program to determine placement of the specimen vise. The specimens
were subjected to tensile testing to determine their tensile strength as well as the percentage elongation at break and Young’s modulus.
Three specimens, welded at each of three temperatures, were examined requiring a total of nine specimens.
Fig. 7. Truck loading cases a) Case 1 b) Case 2 c) Case 3.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
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3.2. Compression load application
Compressive strength testing was performed in accordance with ISO 293. Specimen size was measured using vernier calipers. Then,
compression testing was done using a program that measures compressive strength. Three specimens welded at each of three different
Fig. 8. Stress-strain relationship at each temperature in the tensile test: a) 170 ºC b) 215 ºC c) 260 ºC.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
9
temperatures were tested requiring a total of nine specimens.
3.3. Hydrostatic load application
Hydrostatic testing was performed in accordance with the ISO 1167 standard. After welding the HDPE pipes at three different
temperatures, 170 ºC, 215 ºC and 260 ºC, the pipe specimens were subjected to hydrostatic pressure to determine the resulting
deformation of the specimens.
3.4. Onsite trafc load application
According to the TIS 982–2556 standard, a truck was prepared for testing and instrumentation was installed for measuring the
breakage a water hose pipe while the truck is running. The steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated water storage tank was then tested
in a similar manner in an on-site application. A commercial three axle 10 wheeled truck with a total weight of 24 tonnes was driven
over the installation for compression testing. A linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) gage connected to a data logger was
used to measure the deformation of the steel-reinforced polyethylene corrugated water storage tank. Fig. 7 presents all truck loading
cases. Fig. 7a depicts the case 1 which shows the truck direction of crossing the pipeline at point 1 on the HDPE tube, installing on the
concrete slab and the compacted sand. In the similar way, Fig. 7b presents the case 2 which shows also the truck direction of crossing
the pipeline at point 2 on the HDPE tube, installing on the compacted sand. Last, Fig. 7c depicts the case 3 which shows the truck
direction driving along the pipeline and stopping at point 1 and point 2.
4. Results and discussion
4.1. Tensile strength test results
From the tensile tests, it was found that test specimens welded at 215 ºC, according to accepted standards, provide a higher average
tensile strength and a greater resistance to elongation. The specimen welded at 215 ºC showed fewer fractures than specimens welded
at 170 ºC and 260 ºC. These are lower and higher temperatures than the specied standards. The stress-strain relationships of these
three specimens are shown in Fig. 8a-c.
Fig. 9. Tensile strength at each welding temperature.
Fig. 10. Compressive resistance at each temperature.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
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After the tensile test, when the specimens were examined, it was found that at 170 ◦C and 260 ◦C, the specimen presented fractures
at the weld. At 215 ºC, fracture occurs at the base of specimen but was not torn at the weld. When welding at 215 ºC, as required by the
standard, the weld will have the highest strength of 2099 N compared to welds at other temperatures, as shown in Fig. 9.
Fig. 11. Stress-strain relationships at each welding temperature in compressive resistance tests at a) 170 ºC, b) 215 ºC and c) 260 ºC.
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4.2. Compressive resistance test results
It was found from compression testing that the best performing specimen was welded at 215 ºC. This specimen showed the highest
average value of compressive resistance of 2755 N among all specimens welded at 170 ºC and 260 ºC, as shown in Fig. 10 and the
stress-strain relationship in Fig. 11a-c.
4.3. Hydrostatic test results
From the pressure resistance test, it was found that the specimen welded at 170 ºC could resist a maximum pressure of 32 bars and
fracture in the weld zone. The specimen welded at 215 ºC can resist a maximum pressure of 41 bars and fracture in the specimen, while
the test piece welded at 260 ºC could resist pressures of up to 35 bars and fracture in the weld zone.
4.4. Results analysis of steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated a water storage tank on-site compression test
Inspection of bonding between the galvanized at carbon steels and polyethylene was done by cutting the polyethylene surface
with a knife to check for looseness between galvanized at carbon steel and polyethylene. The inspection shows that polyethylene
yields a good adhesion to at zinc-coated carbon steel. The contact layer did not peel off. The dimensions of steel reinforced poly-
ethylene corrugated water storage tank were inspected and met the TIS 2764–2559 standards. The results of compression testing
showed that the tank collapsed by only 60 mm from an initial diameter of 2800 mm. The weld line was not damaged and no cracks
appeared according to ISO 17025. The tensile test result is 8.401 kN/m
2
, which meets the ISO 9969 standard. No sign of leakage
appeared during the seven-day testing period and the water level remained constant. The quality of water and contamination results
met the applicable standards as demonstrated in Table 4. After the soil was lled and grounded, the initial value of the deformation
gauge was adjusted to zero. The measurements in this step were divided into three cases, corresponding to the truck loading directions.
Displacement results on HDPE tank of Case 1 were reported in Figs. 12 and 13. There were 2 test samples. In Fig. 12 (Sample 1), the
tests were carried so that the center of the truck was aligned with the center of the tank. The weight was evenly distributed between the
concrete and the soil ll on the side. The results were compared and yielded similar trends in both cases, but the maximum values of the
deformation distance gauge (LVDT) were slightly different. The maximum value of the sensor for Sample 1 was higher than for Sample
2 for both sensors as seen in Fig. 13. For case 2, the test was performed by placing the truck at only one side of the tank as depicted in
Fig. 14. The results showed that the maximum value of sensor 1 is less than 1 mm as expected because the location of the truck is near
sensor 2, which read a maximum deformation of 6.2462 mm. Lastly, in case 3, the pipe deformation is then measured as the truck
travelled along the length of the tank. The test was performed by driving the truck along the longitudinal length of the tank. During the
process, the truck was stopped and rested the four pairs of rear wheels on sensor position 1 and then moved until the 4 pairs of rear
wheels were on sensor position 2. The results indicated that the maximum deformation value of sensor 1 was 3.3793 mm and
4.0539 mm at sensor 2. Moreover, in Fig. 15, the test was performed by placing the truck parallel to, but only on one side of the tank. It
was found sensor 1 indicated a greater collapse than sensor 2. The results indicated that the maximum deformation value at sensor 1
was 3.279 mm and 4.054 mm at sensor 2, following the Standard Specications for Steel Reinforced Polyethylene Corrugated Pipe
(ASTM F2435).
For all samples, the results show no signs of cracking or discontinuities on the displacement curve at the electro-fusion weld. This
occurs because the weld is strengthened enough to withstand such a load in both static and dynamic real applications. The maximum
Table 3
Specication of Polyethylene Pipe.
Specication of the Polyethylene Pipe
ID / OD
(mm)
Pipe length
L (mm)
Pipe length
L1 (mm)
Soil level behind the pipe (m)
2800/3000 10.0 4.5 1.0
Table 4
Water quality and contamination results.
Details Units Results Limit of Detection (LOD)
No.1 No.2 No.3
Chromium mg/L Not found Not found Not found 0.03
Cadmium mg/L Not found Not found Not found 0.0005
Lead mg/L <0.007 <0.007 <0.007 –
Arsenic mg/L <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 –
Mercury mg/L <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 –
Selenium mg/L <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 –
Cyanide mg/L <0.02 <0.02 <0.02 –
Barium mg/L <0.70 <0.70 <0.70 –
Solid particles mg/L <50 <50 <50 –
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
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deformation value for all cases is 6.2462 mm in case 2, which was an undistributed load. However, the deformation in all cases was low
and passed the criteria of the TIS 982–2556 standard.
Fig. 16 presented the SEM image of HDPE sample at 100 µm. It showed the micro structure of the HDPE sample. In the similar way,
the chemical composition of the HDPE was revealed by the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) test. Three HDPE samples were tested and it was
noted that all three samples have peaks at 21.4, 23.7 and around 30 degrees, corresponding to the ning of [2–7]. Fig. 17.
5. Conclusions
This research examined the feasibility of manufacturing horizontal groundwater storage tanks from steel reinforced polyethylene
Fig. 12. Displacement result of sample 1 in Case 1.
Fig. 13. Displacement result of sample 2 in Case 1.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
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corrugated pipes with a diameter of 2800 mm and a length of 3200 mm having a volume of 20000 liters, according to TIS 2764–2559
requirements. Galvanized at carbon steel and polyethylene are bonded using an extrusion process.
The mechanical properties of the tank were determined and a leakage test that was done to estimate the feasibility of this appli-
cation. The laboratory tensile and compression testing met the criteria standards for water storage vessels. Visual inspection indicated
that the weld lines were complete, and that no cracks existed in the weld line or the pipe. Testing showed no leakage while the
contamination test showed acceptably low levels of contaminating substances.
The tank deformation test revealed that the maximum deformation of the tank during on-site compression testing was less than
7 mm in all cases of both static and dynamic loading using a 24-tonne truck, according to the applicable standard. The results shows
that it is possible to use underground steel reinforced polyethylene corrugated water tanks with plastic welding in real-world
applications.
Fig. 14. Displacement result of Case 2.
Fig. 15. Displacement result of Case 3.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
14
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing nancial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to
inuence the work reported in this paper.
Data Availability
Data will be made available on request.
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok. Contact no. KMUTNB-60-GOV-015.
Fig. 16. SEM image of HDPE sample.
Fig. 17. XRD results of HDPE samples.
T. Yingsamphancharoen and K. Piriyakul
Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 (2022) e01578
15
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