Pipeline coatings in buried service are subjected to stresses from the surrounding soil as a result of the weight of the overburden and the weight of the pipe with its contents. These stresses are exacerbated by changes in the soil composition pipe movement due to operating pressure and thermal expansion/contraction. Soil Stress can damage the mainline or the girth weld coatings leading to corrosion of the pipeline and costly repairs. Understanding the magnitude of these stresses is critical to coating design and material selection. A model has been developed to allow the estimation of the compressive and shear stresses around a buried pipeline under static conditions. A comparison of the calculated stresses to the minimum required compressive and shear strength of various coating and girth weld products are made and verified using Lap Shear & Soil Box Tests.