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Committee Report:: Design and Installation of PE Pipe
Committee Report:: Design and Installation of PE Pipe
Committee Report:: Design and Installation of PE Pipe
Design and
installation
of PE pipe
PE piping made in accordance
A
with AWWA C906-90 is a sturdy,
tough, and durable material ideal
for direct burial, no-dig,
and marine installations. WWA C906-90, Standard for Poly-
ethylene (PE) Pressure Pipe and Fittings, 4 In. (100
mm) Through 63 In. (1,600 mm), for Water Distrib-
AWWA Polyolefin Pressure Pipe ution, was published with an effective date of Mar. 1,
1992. An update to this document is being prepared.
and Fittings Committee AWWA C906-90 was developed by the AWWA
Standards Committee on
Polyolefin Pressure Pipe
The AWWA Polyolefin Pressure Pipe and Fittings Committee is and Fittings. The Poly-
developing a manual that will focus solely on the design and olefin Pipe Committee
installation of polyethylene piping made in accordance with and the Standards Com-
AWWA C906-90. Because development will take at least another mittee on Polyvinyl
year, the committee has produced this report to provide guidance Chloride (PVC) Pipe and
on properly designing and installing PE materials in the meantime. Fittings were formed in
This report discusses the composition and properties of PE piping, fall 1988 from their pre-
including its density, toughness, and ductility; outlines major decessor, the Thermo-
applications for the material; presents essential design criteria; and plastics Pressure Pipe
offers guidelines on joining, installing, and pressure-testing PE Committee.
pipe. A section on marine installations covers selecting an
appropriate site and assembling, launching, and submerging pipe. For executive summary,
see page 166.
B
policy that design and installation
information should be compre-
hensive and preferably offered in utt-fused PE pipe may be bent
a separate document. Because it
may take at least another year to in the field to adapt to gradual
complete the AWWA manual, the
Polyolefin Pipe Committee has changes in grade and direction.
issued this interim report to pro-
vide basic guidance on the design and installation of PE medium density and is somewhat stiffer. Type III is a
piping made in accordance with AWWA C906-90. high-density form with greater stiffness. To achieve the
When available, the manual will supplant both this best combination of strength, flexibility, and toughness,
report and the design and installation guidance in the most pipe is made of materials between the high end
foreword in AWWA C901-96. of medium density and the low end of high density.
Composition and properties of PE piping Because of JOURNAL AWWA guidelines on manuscript length, the full
Committee Report on the design and installation of polyethylene pipe
Molecular structure. In its virgin form, PE is a could not be published. To obtain a free copy of the full report, call the
translucent and tough substance with a waxy texture. AWWA Bookstore at (800) 926-7337.
yy
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FIGURE 1 Pipe-installation terminology
(medium-density), grade-4 PE, with a
;;;;
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yyy
maximum RHDS of 625 psi (4,309 kPa)
for water at 73oF (23oC).
Final PE 3406* designates a type-III
yyyyyy
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;;;;;;
yyyyyy
;;;;;;
yyyyyy
;;;;;;
yyyyyy
;;;;;;
yyyyyy
backfill
(high-density), grade-4 PE, with a max-
;;;;
imum RHDS of 625 psi (4,309 kPa) for
Trench wall
water at 73oF (23oC).
y;y;y;y;y;y;y;y;y;y;
(native)
PE 3408 designates a type-III
;;;;
(high-density), grade-4 PE, with a max-
imum RHDS of 800 psi (5,516 kPa), for
;
y
Pipe embedment
zone water at 73oF (23oC).
;
y ;
y ;
y
Built-in protection. PE piping mate-
;;;; y;y;y;y;y;y;y;y;y;y;y;
rials contain small quantities of heat sta-
Initial backfill bilizers and antioxidants for protection
Haunch zone during processing and while in service.
The materials covered by AWWA C906-
y; y; y;
Springline
Sloped wall
90 also include a minimum of 2 percent
(as required) Bedding of finely divided and well-dispersed car-
Trench bottom (native) bon black, or other suitable stabilizer,
or foundation (as required)
to protect against ultraviolet rays during
extended storage or service outdoors.
Resistance to failure. PEs tough-
ness is exhibited by a high resistance to
failure by impact, even at temperatures
Toughness and resistance to cracking. PE pip- below freezing. PE pipe also resists shatter-type or
ing materials are also subclassified by grade according rapid crack-propagation failure. In materials that are
to their toughness and resistance to cracking under a not as tough, such failure can be initiated by stress
special environmental stress-cracking test. All PE pipe on small flaws resulting from manufacturing or from
materials covered by AWWA C906-90 must meet subsequent handling and operation, including
grade 4, which requires the highest resistance to envi- improper tapping for a live service connection. Because
ronmental stress cracking. of its high ductility, PE can undergo significant defor-
Hydrostatic design stress. PE materials used in mation without being damaged. PE pipe will not crack
pressure pipe applications are also classified by their under the expansive forces of freezing water.
maximum recommended hydrostatic design stress High ductility. Studies show, and field experience
(RHDS) for water at 73oF (23oC), which must be confirms, that surface damage caused by normal han-
established from long-term pressure tests. The RHDS dling does not compromise the ductility of PE. Test-
classification is denoted by two digits that code the ing has shown that a scratch on the outside surface of
maximum design stress in hundreds of pounds per PE pipe to a depth of 10 percent of the pipe wall
square inch. These three classification parameters thickness will not cause a noticeable drop in the pipes
have been combined into the following material des- burst strength.
ignation codes used by AWWA C906-90: A procedure that is being increasingly used to
rehabilitate old pipelines also takes advantage of PEs
high ductility. To make it easier to insert the PE pipe
TABLE 1 Multipliers for calculating minimum
into the pipe being rehabilitated, the diameter of the
permanent bending radius* PE pipe is temporarily reduced by squeezing the pipe
between mechanical rollers or by pulling it through
Installation Temperature a reduction die. After the pipe is in place, the PEs
strain memory is released, and the PE liner pipe grows
Pipe Dimension At or Above
Ratio 73oF (23oC) At 32oF (0oC) into a snug fit inside the rehabilitated pipe. This pro-
cedure is now being commercially applied to restore
7.3 through 17 20 50 water and sewer mains.
21 and 26 30 75
32.5 40 100
Major applications take advantage
*The minimum permanent bending radius (in inches) is equal to the
nominal pipe diameter (in inches) times the appropriate multiplier. This of PEs low stiffness, high ductility
table applies to plain pipe and to pipe near, but not including, butt-fused
connections. Consult the pipe manufacturer for the more restrictive
PEs lower stiffness allows smaller-diameter pipe
bending limits that apply to pipe sections that include butt-fusion joints or generally up to 3 in. (75 mm) but in some cases up to
that are adjacent to socket, electrofusion, and mechanical connectors.
The minimum bending radius for temperatures between 73oF (23oC) and
6 in. (150 mm)to be offered in coils. The longer coils
32oF (0oC) can be estimated by linear interpolation. Contact the pipe
supplier for the bending radius for temperatures below 32oF (0oC).
*The 06 codes the RHDS in units of hundreds of pounds per square inch.
The 08 codes the RHDS in hundreds of pounds per square inch.
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Practice for Underground In-
Rubber padding, Rubber padding, stallation of Thermoplastic Pipe
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approximately A approximately B for Sewers and Other Gravity-
1/8 in. (3.2 mm) 1/8 in. (3.2 mm)
thick 4 in. Fused or thick 4 in. Fused or Flow Applications) discuss com-
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(100 mm) wide mechanical (100 mm) wide mechanical paction materials and recom-
connection connection
mended compaction practices
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in more detail.
The recommendations pre-
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viously outlined also apply
Polyethylene
water-stop and
Polyethylene when multiple pipes are in-
saddles, or other Well-compacted
pipe anchor collar Well-compacted stalled in the same trench. Pipes
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anchoring protrusions, backfill
attached by butt or backfill
other heat fusion
fused around pipe must be spaced so that the
haunching and initial backfill
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C around each pipe can be fully
Loose-fit steel U-clamps
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with rubber padding to and adequately compacted.
mold pipe Expansioncontraction
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considerations. Unrestrained
PE pipe has a comparatively
Rigid integral part
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of structure high coefficient of linear expan-
sion, about 1.0 X 104 in./in./oF
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(1.8 X 104 mm/mm/oC), or
about 13 times that of steel
Well-compacted backfill Pocket for
or undisturbed ground bolt accessibilty pipe. The pipe temperature
should be allowed to approach
In C, the support is designed to protect the fitting from earth settlement loads.
the ground temperature before
each individual run of pipe is
terminally connected.
required to develop uniform lateral passive soil forces. In flanged PE connections, the opposing faces of
Placement and compaction should be monitored in the flange assemblies must mate up securely at ap-
the field to ensure satisfactory installation. Vibratory proximately the ground temperature. The bolts should
methods are preferred when compacting cohesionless, not be used to cinch up the mating faces to over-
free-draining sands or gravels. The most desirable come any apparent gap or misalignment. The fric-
results are obtained when these soils are at their opti- tion between the pipe and its embedment will anchor