https://www.mswmag.com/editorial/2014/07/protecting_your_pipes
Sinkholes. Massive discharges of untreated wastewater. The consequences of pipeline ruptures and breaks can be disastrous.
Sewer and water pipelines are vulnerable to faulting, seismic activity and other ground movements, but ongoing research is showing EPS geofoam to be a material with great potential for protecting them.
Steven Bartlett, associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Utah, and his team have been examining geofoam’s mitigating effects on pipeline damage.
In December 2013, Bartlett’s research on EPS geofoam was put to use in the repair of a severed sewer pipe in Brian Head, Utah. This was the second time the sewer line had been severed due to the dewatering of a deep sandy layer beneath the pipe, which resulted in significant consolidation, settlement, deep cracks and fissures.
During the first repair, 10 inches of settlement and 6 inches of lateral movement were noted. Tom Stratton, Brian Head Public Works director, and his crew devised a plan to repair the damaged pipeline. After consulting with Bartlett and engineers Chet Hovey, P.E., of Advance Environmental Engineering, and Joel Myers, P.E., of Gem Engineering, the team concurred that geofoam should be incorporated into the repair in order to reduce settlement issues and protect the pipeline from future damage by allowing it to be adjusted vertically from the surface.
See also https://my.civil.utah.edu/~bartlett/Geofoam/ for additional information about EPS Geofoam design and construction
