Highway Live Loads on Concrete Pipe

Location: Kojo Kamau B – 4th Floor

Speaker:  Eghe Igiehon – American Concrete Pipe Association

Presentation Description:

ACPA’s Design Data #1 for Highway Live Loads has recently been updated to address the latest changes in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. As such, it would be a good time to give a presentation on live load design of RCP and follow the methodology as outlined in Design Data #1. In most presentations on RCP design, there is insufficient time to include the details of live load along with the general basics of pipe design and soil pipe interaction. Presenting on the individual topic of live load will allow for more time to discuss fundamental live load concepts such as: wheel contact area, distribution of the wheel load through soil, impact factors, and how the load is transmitted through the pipe in intermediate as well as shallow earth cover. This design shows the critical importance of assessing both live and dead loads to ensure the pipes can withstand the impact of traffic. This presentation focuses on the structural evaluation and design considerations for concrete pipes, it will increase the understanding of how the live loads affect the RCP, and provide a more accurate evaluation of the required supporting strength of the buried RCP.

Speaker Bio:

Growing up, I always knew I liked to solve problems; I would take things apart to figure out how they were made. I did not know that what type of career was attainable until I found out about civil engineering. Now, I will be the first engineer in my family. I am currently attending UT Arlington to get my Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering. I am active in Engineers without Borders (EWB), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). In the future, I plan on getting my Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering because I want to understand the theoretical aspect of structures at a deeper level, and I am interested in the safety of buildings and infrastructures. I hope to learn and get real hands-on experience from my well-experienced superiors here at ACPA, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with them.