Numerical Modelling of Pull Forces Considering the Pipe-Soil Interaction in Pipe Bursting for Trenchless Replacement

Trenchless pipe bursting is an essential technique for urban infrastructure renewal; however, accurate pull force prediction remains challenging because of complex soil-pipe interaction mechanisms. Existing models are often limited because they do not fully account for material-specific properties, such as tensile strength, fracture toughness, and deformation behaviour of host pipes. This study presents a new numerical model that incorporates these mechanical properties for both brittle and ductile pipe materials, thereby extending beyond simplified empirical correlations. The model was validated using two DN300 field case studies conducted in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. In the case of brittle concrete pipes, incorporating Griffith’s fracture criterion and a fragility adjustment factor reduced the prediction error by up to 31.37%. In the case of ductile HDPE pipes, optimizing the soil-compression contact zone to account for plastic expansion resulted in a 45.49% reduction in prediction error, with a final mean absolute error of 12.332 kN. These results demonstrate that the proposed model provides a reliable tool for accurate pull force estimation and support improved efficiency in trenchless pipe replacement projects.