ABSTRACT A centrifugal model study into the influence of pipe diameter, depth of burial and backfill density on the resistance to uplift of pipes in sand is reported. No significant differences between the behaviour of buried pipes and that of strip anchors is found, justifying the application of anchor uplift theory to buried pipeline behaviour. Several anchor-based theories overestimate the stability of the model pipes tested, although predictions from the theories of Rowe and Davis (1982), Vermeer and Sutjiadi (1985) and Vesic (1971) yield reasonable agreement for models in dense sand, while the simple Vertical Slip Surface Model is alone in providing sensible predictions for pipes in loose sand. The influence of pipe surface roughness, although significant for pipes at shallow depth in dense sand, is minimal at deeper embedments.