A test apparatus, commonly used in the district heating market, has been successfully adopted to evaluate the functionality of various coating systems for their resistance to soil stress induced in the axial direction due to thermal changes in the pipeline. Coating systems investigated includes 2-layer polyethylene (2LPE), 3-layer polyethylene (3LPE), fusion bonded epoxy (FBE), cold-applied tape, heat shrinkable sleeve with mastic adhesive and heat-shrinkable sleeve with hot melt adhesives. The results showed that the most critical properties of a coating’s ability to resist soil stress are the cohesive strength and strong adhesive strength. Coating systems with a softer adhesive component are more sensitive to soil stress, particularly at their exposed edges. However, the study shows that proper selection of the coating system can meet soil stress requirements.