Device for limiting stresses in particular for buried tubular structures

A device for limiting stresses exerted by the ground on the wall of a buried structure, which structure comprises at least two elements which form at least a part of the wall of the structure, the structure defining a longitudinal axis and said device being adapted to extend in a direction parallel to said axis when it is mounted between the two elements of the structure which are neighbouring elements along the periphery of the structure, said stress limiting device comprising at least one longitudinal slidable plate having a first edge portion and a second edge portion opposed to the first edge portion, the first edge portion being adapted to be connected to one of said structure elements, at least two longitudinal guide elements adapted to be connected to the other element of said structure elements and applied respectively by one of their faces against at least the second edge portion of the slidable plate, apertures in the slidable plate and the guide elements and a plurality of fixing means extending through the apertures in the slidable plate and in said guide elements for clamping said second edge portion of the slidable plate between said guide elements, at least one of the guide elements constituting a fishplate, at least the apertures in said second edge portion of the slidable plate being disposed in a plurality of spaced-apart longitudinally extending rows so that zones located between the apertures of the same row of two adjacent rows form zones capable of yielding by deformation and/or fracture under the fixing means by a sliding of said slidable plate between said guide elements under the effect of forces which may be exerted on the device by said structure elements.