Highlighting the use of PE100-RC in trenchless applications and the upcoming revisions to the European Norms

One of the key activities for which the PE100+ Association was established is to work closely with other plastic pipe, standards and utility bodies to promote the proper specification, design and use of high quality PE100 pipe systems. With this goal in mind, Andrew Wedgner recently gave technical papers at two events organized by the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT).

The first event was the 2019 No-Dig roadshow organized by the UK branch of the ISTT on 17 September near Bristol in the south west of England. The event was supported by Wessex Water, the local water utility and attended by over 250 people from several utilities and local government organisations along with engineering consultants, scientists, general and specialist contractors. In addition to an exhibition the event included seminar covering trenchless technologies that can be used to install new pipelines and renovate or replace existing utility networks.

Andrew’s presentation provided details of the online guide to the use of PE100 Pipes in Trenchless Technology, which can be found on the PE100+ Association website together with associated international standards. These include the 2017 revision of ENO ISO 11295, which provides information on the use of plastics piping systems used in the rehabilitation and renovation of existing networks and EN ISO 21225 which covers pipe bursting, horizontal directional drilling and impact moling.

The presentation also provided an introduction to the testing of PE100-RC pipes and materials that are, for the first time, to be included in the upcoming revisions of the European PE pressure pipes norms, EN 1555 and EN12201. It concluded with a summary of the programme for publishing the both EN norms in 2020, which will be followed by the updating of the equivalent ISO standards over the next 2 years. The paper was well received by the audience, many of whom were unfamiliar with the benefits of PE100-RC materials, which are not widely used in the UK.

The second and considerably larger event was the ISTT annual conference and exhibition which was held in Florence, Italy at the start of October. Along with presenting a similar paper, Andrew, together with Carlo Gianetti, had a small stand at the exhibition to promote the use of PE100-RC materials and to support the PE100 pipe system producers that were also exhibiting. The paper, which was given on the first day of the conference, generated interest and subsequent requests by engineers and pipe converters to be taken through the Association’s online guide in detail.

The Association will continue to promote the use of PE100-RC materials at similar trenchless technology events in the future, along with making the industry aware of the online guide and upcoming revisions to the EN and ISO PE standards.