TPI July 2014

products & developments Confirmation of PVC water pipe’s longevity

more rapidly than older types because of their thinner walls.

A previous USU study on water main breaks in the USA and Canada showed PVC pipe to have the lowest rate of main breaks of all pipe materials examined, which included ductile iron, cast iron, steel, concrete, and asbestos cement. This report continues to explore PVC reliability and longevity. The critical issue of affordability is also examined, as the US water sector faces the difficult task of renewing its buried infrastructure. “This study provides the next body of evidence supporting the ability of utilities to address the failing infrastructure and the affordability dilemma,” said Dr Folkman. According to the US Conference of Mayors, a total of $2.28 trillion is needed in water and wastewater piping over the next 20 years. A major finding of the study is that US water utilities can reduce water main breaks and operations and maintenance costs by including corrosion-proof PVC piping in their replacement programmes. Earlier research by USU showed that corrosion of iron piping is a major problem for water systems, and newer metallic pipes are experiencing failures

The Utah State University (USU) Buried Structures Laboratory has published a comprehensive study on PVC pipe excavations, testing and life cycle analysis. USU, located in Logan, Utah, USA, is also home to the Utah Water Research Laboratory, and has contributed to water and wastewater research internationally for over 50 years. The study reviews past dig-up reports and presents new quality control testing results that continue to validate the performance and longevity of PVC pipe used in water networks. A combination of pipe examination and testing data in conjunction with previous pipe break studies support PVC as a sustainable pipe material and confirm its longevity in excess of 100 years. “Understanding the longevity of pipes improves the ability of a water utility to make better infrastructure investment decisions with improved affordability results for customers,” said report author Dr Steven Folkman.

The report also found that PVC pipes offer a high degree of resilience in freez- ing conditions. This would help reduce the ever-increasing number of iron pipes that fail during winter across the US. “Many utilities have fallen short in producing appropriate cost and life cycle comparisons of pipe performance. Data on water pipe longevity must be combined with assets management techniques to make water and sewer infrastructure more durable and affordable. As well, elected officials, financial managers and utility professionals must work together to create a new management paradigm for water and wastewater systems,” argued Dr Folkman. This study contributes to the continuing efforts of the EPA’s Aging Water Infrastructure (AWI) research and work by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Utah State University – USA steven.folkman@usu.edu www.usu.edu

Mobile app provides comprehensive stock information

friendly. In the product categories pipes, fittings, flanges and elbows, the range can be filtered according to parameters such as applicable standard, steel type, material, material number, pressure rating, models and dimensions. The results can be stored in a watch list and requested directly via email.

Comprehensive information on pipe, pipe connector and pipe accessory stock is available in a new mobile application from Buhlmann Group. Initially available for iPad, the app quickly and easily provides an overview of the range of the globally operating trading house. “Any interested user can download our new app for iPad free from the App Store,” said Jörg Klüver, Buhlmann Group’s chief operations officer. The Buhlmann app is simple and user-

Buhlmann Rohr-Fittings- Stahlhandel GmbH + Co KG – Germany bremen@buhlmann-group.com www.buhlmann-group.com

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Tube Products International July 2014

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