A study on loose material filled PVC props as an alternative to conventional wooden supports

Abstract

This paper describes the research conducted to design new type of props using PVC pipe and loose particles (cohesive and non-cohesive) as fill material. The design of the props is such that load is applied only to the inner core, of which a part of it is borne by the PVC because of the friction between inner and outer pipe. Rest of the load is transferred to the core, which pressurizes the pipe from inside. The reasoning behind constructing such props is that a pipe that is internally pressurized will be more rigid towards bending and hence take more load. This paper discusses experimental research work carried out on small as well as large scale props by varying L/D ratio (fixed in case of large scale props) and the type of fill material (cohesive and noncohesive) for testing their ultimate strength by loading them in different manners.