The Evolution and Present State of PE Water Pipes in Japan [PE]

In the Japan Water industry, there has been a strong movement recently to use PE piping. Till quite recently, PVC and ironjprimarily ductile iron) have been used for water piping in Japan generally. The movement toward PE for water piping was pushed by The Great Hanshin-Awaji(Kobe) Earthquake occurred in 1995. By the failure of many of the conventional pipes, as a result of the earthquake a rapid reevaluation had begun of PE as a piping material. Until a point of the time, in the marhet of water PE pipe, the share was less than 14% for diameter under 50mm, for the one exceeding 50mm diameter almost zero. Now the situation is rapidly changing and even the manufacturers of PVC and iron pipe are participating to produce and install PE piping. The tasks has now begun to cover the broad area, including the further standardization of PE pipes and fittings, production dines and instaliation technoiogy. PE pipes has lagged for the main-stream of the market of water piping area. However, some PE pipe, PE composite pipe, has supplied to the water industry for over 25 years specialized area. It has been widely recognized that PE is superior material for the area where earth movement is likely to occur. It has also been recognized that PE is suitable materials for water transport such as inter-island submarine piping, hydrant water piping along the bridges, and many other applications.