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Tube Products International July 2014
products & developments
Confirmation of PVC water pipe’s longevity
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.
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
more rapidly than older types because
of their thinner walls.
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
Mobile app provides
comprehensive stock
information
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-
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.
Buhlmann Rohr-Fittings-
Stahlhandel GmbH + Co KG
–
Germany
