Yes / The performance of buried rigid pipes underneath geogrid-reinforced soil while applying incrementally increased cyclic loading was assessed using a fully instrumented laboratory rig. The influence of varying two parameters of practical importance was investigated; the pipe burial depth and the number of geogrid-layers. Measurements were taken for pipe deformation, footing settlement, strain in pipe and reinforcing layers, and pressure/soil stress on the pipe crown during various stages of cyclic loading. The research outcomes demonstrated a rapid increase in the rate of deformation of the pipe and the footing, and the rate of generated strain in the pipe and the geogrid-layers during the first 300 cycles. While applying further cycles, those rates were significantly decreased. Increasing the pipe burial depth and number of geogrid-layers resulted in reductions in the footing and the pipe deformations, the pressure on pipe crown, and the pipe strains. Redistribution of stresses, due to the inclusion of reinforcing layers, formed a confined zone surrounding the pipe providing it with additional lateral support. The pipe invert experienced a rebound, which was found to be dependent on pressure around the pipe and the degree of densification of the bedding layer. Data for strains measured in the geogrid-layers showed that despite the applied loading value and the pipe burial depth, the tensile strain in the lower geogrid-layer was usually higher than that measured in the upper layer.

Yes / Arching in soils has received great attention due to its significance on the soil–underground structure interaction. The state of stress on underground structures as a result of cycles of active and passive arching was neither explored nor systematically assessed. In the present study, comprehensive investigation was carried out to examine: i. the effects of displacement direction to induce active or passive arching, ii. the behaviour of subsequent arching, iii. the effect of magnitude of initial displacement on the formation of arching and iv. the influence of soil height on sequential active and passive arching. The results showed that alternating the displacement of the underground inclusion exacerbated the formation of active and passive arching leading to a substantial reduction in shear resistance and stress redistribution. It is noted that sequentially alternating displacement of the underground inclusion was detrimental to the formation of full active and passive arches irrespective of the burial height.