TPi January 2015

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business & market news
24 Tube Products International January 2015
FAA approves PP pipe for civilian airport
water collection and disposal
Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS),
a manufacturer of water management
products and solutions for commercial,
residential, infrastructure and agricultural
applications, has welcomed the decision
by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) to approve polypropylene pipe
for subsurface water collection and
disposal at civilian airports.
The decision to recognise polypropylene
pipe as an equal alternative to other
materials enables design engineers and
contractors to leverage the benefits
of the lightweight, durable solution for
water collection and removal under
airfield pavements. The updated
standard follows the approval of HDPE
pipe for under-pavement use in all
airport areas, including de-icing pads,
runways and taxiways.
“The nearly 400 commercial airports
and 3,000 general aviation facilities in
the United States require infrastructure
upgrades and expansion to meet the
demand of continual increases in
air travel,” said Greg Bohn, director
of national engineering and product
development for ADS.
“This update to the FAA policy
is in line with a growing number of
Departments of Transportation (DOT)
across the country who have approved
polypropylene and HDPE pipe for
critical infrastructure needs. These are
easy to install, lightweight and cost-
effective solutions with a high degree
of stiffness and strength, which enable
developers to maximise a project’s
budget and provide substantial
alternatives that meet AASHTO and
ASTM standards.”
ADS solutions are used for water man-
agement at airports, including Atlanta’s
Hartsfield-Jackson International
Airport. The company manufactures
both polypropylene and HDPE pipe in
diameters up to 60".
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc – USA
TubItaly 2015
Following the positive results of the
first event, which took place in 2013,
TubItaly has set ambitious new targets
to further establish the importance of
a sector with a strong international
character.
TubItaly, which will show the best of
tubes, rods, pipes and profiles, and
technologies for their production and
processing, will be held in Piacenza,
Italy, from 20 to 22 May 2015. Unlike the
previous event, TubItaly will not be held
simultaneously with EXPOlaser, and this
will allow the organisers, Piacenza Expo
and PubliTec, to put the entire exhibition
area at exhibitors’ disposal.
The slogan chosen for the promotional
event, “Piping all forms of energy,
we nourish life,” emphasises the
fundamental role of pipes and pipelines,
and everything that turns around them.
Travelling underground or hundreds of
metres below sea level, they transport
the resources that are part of everyday
life, such as water, gas or oil.
The decision to bring the event forward
fromNovember to May will allow TubItaly
visitors to take advantage of another
exhibition: EXPO 2015. With close
proximity to Milan, TubItaly will benefit
from the strong international appeal
of EXPO, and this will help to increase
the number of visitors to the exhibition
in Piacenza in order to find the main
players in the sector of tubes, pipes and
profiles. The exhibition is supported by
Federacciai, Istituto Italiano del Rame,
and Fondazione Promozione Acciaio.
Piacenza Expo SpA – Italy