Papers
Plastic Pipes Conference Association # 2016 Berlin
Kim Endsley, Joseph Poniatowski
In order to free itself from the rising costs of water supplied by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, the Karegnondi Water Authority proposed a new water intake and delivery system from Lake Huron to Flint, Michigan. Because of the recent introduction of the zebra mussel into North America’s Great Lakes, a chemical dosing system was needed to keep the intake line free of zebra mussels, which restrict flow and clog pipe. A coextruded Advanced polyethylene double contained pipe was chosen for the sodium hypochlorite system because of its excellent chemical, corrosion, and impact resistance.
The Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA), formed in 2010, is building a new water pipeline to supply Flint, Michigan and surrounding communities with their own fresh water supply from Lake Huron. The project was conceived because of increasing water rates from Flint’s previous water provider, the City of Detroit.
A major challenge in the project was the zebra mussel infestation in the Great Lakes region, which would quickly clog the new 78-inch diameter pipeline. Zebra mussels adhere to water intake lines clogging pipes and the machinery for the water delivery system resulting in millions of dollars in repairs. Infestations can be so severe that they result in the shut-down of water treatment facilities and the loss of water to surrounding communities. The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that the economic impact of zebra mussel infestaions will be between three and five billion US dollars over the next 10 years.
Though there are many available methods for combatting the zebra mussel problem such as temperature treatments, barrier filtration, electric currents, and sonic vibration, these techniques have yielded only limited success. A regular dosing of sodium hypochlorite in the water intake structure has proven to be an effective means of preventing the zebra mussels from clogging the intake pipelines.
The dosing system in Flint required double contained pipe to prevent a sodium hypochlorite leak into the surrounding waters, and part of the sytem required horizontal directional drilling. An Advanced PE double wall pipe system with four-inch SDR11 carrier and six-inch SDR17 containment was chosen because it met both of these criteria, as well as being resistent to the oxidizing properties of sodium hypochlorite.
The unitary construction of the pipe, the inherent physical properties of Advanced PE, and the joining and installation methods used throughout the KWA’s pipeline project saved the water authority, its member communities, and Michigan taxpayers money and peace of mind.
Related papers
Author(s) : Ajay Taraiya, Peter Degenhart, Mark Boerakker
In PPXX, a technology was presented for the first time that could bi-axially orient polyolefin pipes. With this technology, it is possible to prepare pipes that have a performance far beyond the standard ones. One approach to achieving this performance is via a continuous in-line process. To optimize the in-line...
Author(s) : Joe Babcanec, P.E., Issam Khoury, Ph.D, P.E., Shad Sargand,
The use of corrugated HDPE and PP pipe for gravity flow storm sewers is a growing trend throughout the United States. Many of these drainage pipes are buried in shallow cover conditions under roads with heavy traffic. It is well established that thermoplastic pipe installations under shallow cover respond differently...
Author(s) : Robin Bresser, Ilari Aho, Shima Holder, Tijana Duric, Kaisa Suvilampi
Through innovation and experience, PEX pipe solutions have been enabling comfortable heating and safe plumbing with a successful 50-year track record. They are an important facilitator of the green energy transition and the ambitious climate targets of, for example, the European Union (EU) Green Deal by enabling...
Author(s) : James F. Mason, Akshay Ponda, Hermann van Laak, Tobias Bauer
The long-term strength of unplasticized polyamide 12 (PA-U12) has been characterized using standard methods for plastic pressure pipe during the qualification process for use in buried piping systems for natural gas delivery operating at low ambient temperatures, usually less than 20 to 30°C at pressures...
Author(s) : Dr. Michael Pluimer, Sara Stone
The Notched Constant Ligament Stress test (NCLS test, ASTM F2136)[1] is a test method that measures the slow crack growth in High Density Polyethylene. The NCLS test requires a notch on all test specimens to act as a stress concentration at that point so crack propagation can be easily predicted and studied. In...
Author(s) : Sunwoong Choi, Robert Stakenborghs , Pyeongan Lee, Byoungho Choi
This work developed a hydro-axial tension (HAT) test as a whole pipe axial tensile test and applied to evaluate the polyethylene (PE) pipe and fusion joints containing various flaws. HAT test was designed to utilize hydrostatic pressure to cause axial tension in pipes. The experimental and numerical analysis was...
Author(s) : Jie Wu, Yushan Hu, Todd Hogan
Recycling of plastic materials is key to demonstrating that these high value materials are much more than a waste stream and a key component of a sustainable future. The plastic pipe market effectively utilizes in-plant recycle systems where standards and codes allow processors to recapture the value of these...
Author(s) : Kevin White, Shad Sargand
The current standard of practice for the installation of agricultural mains is in accordance with ASTM F449, Standard Practice for Subsurface Installation of Corrugated Polyethylene Pipe for Agricultural Drainage or Water Table Control. ASTM F449 has several limitations. Currently, the allowable maximum height of...
Author(s) : Rafael A. García-Muñoz, Rafael Juan, Mónica de la Cruz, Beatriz Paredes, Carlos Domínguez
Plastics are widely used in various industries, resulting in the generation of significant amounts of plastic waste, which causes environmental and economic problems. Although mechanical recycling is the most commonly employed technology, the resulting recyclates often suffer from degradation and contamination. This...
Author(s) : Yanlei Hu, Jin Sun
Slow crack growth is the main reason for brittle failure of polyethylene pipes. At present, the traditional slow crack growth test generally has many problems, such as too long test time, using chemical reagents that pollute the environment, poor reproducibility, etc., which limit the accurate evaluation of the slow...
Author(s) : Rachel Anderson, Rujul Mehta, Alex Stolarz, Todd Hogan, Stephanie Whited, Joel Wieliczko
Growing worldwide demand for sustainably made irrigation systems has driven the creation of new resins for longer-lasting, more durable, recycle friendly, and cost-effective pipe that can better tolerate extreme conditions year after year. Microirrigation systems deliver vital water and nutrients where they’re needed...
Author(s) : Ernst van der Stok, Nadia Luijsterburg-Vleugels
The latest generation of polyethylene grades (PE 100-RC and PE 4710 PLUS) have an increased resistance to slow crack growth. Such cracks can be initiated by either a scratch during installation or a rock indentation during use. The Accelerated Notch Pipe Test (ANPT) was standardized in ISO 13479 in 2022 to allow the...
Author(s) : Karin Jacobson, Daniel Ejdeholm
Plastic pipes often have much better corrosion resistance than metallic pipes and have, in addition, the benefits of low weight and flexibility. Thanks to this, they are often used to convey chemicals. There is, however, still a large potential for a much more extensive use of plastic pipes for this application. The...
Author(s) : Norbert Jansen, Andrew Wedgner, Rainer Kloth
PE100+ Association(client) has sponsored a technical investigation to define the permeation rate of hydrogen through polyethylene pipes at an external expert laboratory. Four different types of PE pipe materials in the same pipe size and SDR17 have been evaluated at 3 different target temperatures 8°C, 14°C and 20°C,...
Author(s) : Ali M Alghamdi, Recep Yaldiz, Faisal Almana, Yousof Ghazzawi, Abdul Rahim Arafath, Ratnesh Khandelwal, Azzedine Kioul, Turki Al-Shahrani, Salem Al-Anazi, Sarfraz Abbasi, Mohammed Aljasser, Parthipan B, Kavya A, Harm Caelers
Reinforced thermoplastic pipes (RTPs) are multilayer structured pipes reinforced with high-strength materials such as fibers (glass, aramid, or carbon fibers). RTPs are used to transport highly corrosive mediums at elevated pressures and temperatures. An example of that is the use of RTP in the Oil & Gas industry to...
Author(s) : Jennifer Ravereau, Catherine GIORNI, Benjamin RABAUD, Frederic Mohier, Mehdi Ahmadi
Pipe installation and renewal are critical for network management and extension both in terms of cost and of logistics for installation. Plastic materials, as polyethylene, are constantly evolving to offer additional benefits (chemical resistance improvement, mechanical resistance, innovative functionalities)....
Author(s) : Paul O’Regan, Nigel Cassidy, Neil Wallace
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has estimated that the building sector accounts for 38% of world-wide energy-related CO2 emissions and that the construction industry is responsible for nearly 30% of this figure. Modern-day pipes, sewers and water drainage systems are predominantly made of materials...
Author(s) : A. Taraiya, P. Degenhart, M. Soliman, M. Boerakker, R. Handstanger, R. Kleppinger
Since the introduction of polyolefins for pressure pipes, continuous improvements have been made to meet ever-higher demands on their performance and to expand their application window beyond their original scope, mostly based on new resin formulations. Today, we also continue to push the limit to provide better...
Author(s) : Derek Muckle
A technical program has been undertaken to provide evidence on the suitability of polyethylene pipe and fitting systems for the distribution of hydrogen fuel gas. The underlying principle has been to evaluate material in the form of a pipe and to consider the performance of the pipe and of the welded jointing systems...
Author(s) : Peter Hubbard, Linqing Luo, Andrew Yeskoo, Kenichi Soga, Krista (Moita) Araica, Gus Cicala, Marshall McLeod
Seismically active faults pose a risk to buried water pipelines that can be complicated to quantify. Fault type, slip rate, pipeline geometry, and soil conditions all factor into a complex soil-pipeline interaction. For critical pipelines that cross faults, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has become an attractive...
Members of the Association
