PE & HDPE Pipe - Properties and Types of PE100 Pipe

You might also like

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 8

6/15/2020 PE & HDPE Pipe : Properties and Types of PE100 pipe

PE technical guidance

PE & HDPE PE100 Pipe : Properties and


Types
Quick access 

PE & HDPE Pipe


PE100 is the third generation of pipe grade PE.
It has an optimum balance of three key properties:

https://www.pe100plus.com/PE-Pipes/Technical-guidance/Trenchless/Methods/PE-Pipe-i1341.html 1/8
6/15/2020 PE & HDPE Pipe : Properties and Types of PE100 pipe

Minimum Required Strength (MRS) – this provides long-term strength and creep
resistance.
Stress crack resistance (sometimes referred to as slow crack growth resistance).
Rapid crack propagation resistance.

PE100 pipe is easy to install, light, flexible, corrosion-free and has a service life of up to 100
years. It can be jointed using butt fusion or electrofusion to create a leak-free pressure network
for gas or water. For the trenchless applications butt fusion is most widely used because this
results in a smooth exterior profile with no protrusions that might cause difficulties in pulling the
pipe into the ground or host pipe.

PE & HDPE PE100 Pipe Properties


Minimum Required Strength (MRS): 10.0 MPa (1450 psi)
Hydrostatic Design Basis (HDB) Pressure: 1600 psi (11 MPa)
Allowable Compressive Strength: 7.93 MPa
Tensile Strength at Yield: 23 MPa
Elongation at Break: >600%
Modulus of Elasticity (50 years): 200 MPa
Flexural Modulus: 1000 MPa
Poisson’s Ratio: 0.45
Thermal Expansion Co-efficient: 1.3 x 10-4 °C-1

Friction Co-efficients:

Colebrook-White: 0.00152mm
Hazen-Williams: 150-155
Manning: 0.009 (water); 0.010 (sewage)

Temperature Resistance of PE pipe


The properties of PE100 pipe are determined at standard temperatures of 20°C or 23°C. These
properties can be significantly affected by temperature, so at higher temperature the properties,
including MRS, decrease. At higher temperatures it may be necessary to apply reduction factors
to MRS, and consequently MOP. Some Codes and Standards define the reduction factors that
must be applied; AWWA C901 and C906 for example. Otherwise there are standard reduction
factors that can be applied in design. ISO13761:1996 defines reduction factors to be applied to
MOP at higher temperatures. These are shown below.

Temperatue °C 20 25 30 35 40
https://www.pe100plus.com/PE-Pipes/Technical-guidance/Trenchless/Methods/PE-Pipe-i1341.html 2/8
6/15/2020 PE & HDPE Pipe : Properties and Types of PE100 pipe

Pressure Reduction Factor 1.00 0.93 0.87 0.80 0.74

In the USA the Plastics Pipe Institute Handbook of Polyethylene Pipe Table A.2 includes the following
reduction factors. The correlation with the ISO factors is clear.

design. ISO13761:1996 defines reduction factors to be applied to MOP at higher temperatures.


These are shown below.

Temperatue °F (°C) 73 (32) 80 (27) 90 (32) 100 (38)


Pressure Reduction Factor 1.00 0.94 0.86 0.78

Abrasion Resistance
This is a consideration in wastewater rising/force mains in which there are solids transported with
the water and pump operation sequences can result in solids rubbing along the pipe invert.
PE100 has the best abrasion resistance of the commonly used pressure pipe materials. This is
illustrated in the Figure below.

The magnitude of wear depends on the angle of impingement and the type of material being
eroded. At close to 90 degree impingement angles (impact abrasion), the erosive wear rate is
highest in brittle materials and lowest in ductile materials. In ductile materials, the repeated
impinging particles plastically deform the surface to generate wear debris. With brittle materials,

https://www.pe100plus.com/PE-Pipes/Technical-guidance/Trenchless/Methods/PE-Pipe-i1341.html 3/8
6/15/2020 PE & HDPE Pipe : Properties and Types of PE100 pipe

the impingement causes particles of material to be fractured off as wear debris. Brittle materials
are less wear resistant than ductile materials in an impact erosion condition. At low angles of
impingement (abrasive erosion), the reverse is the case. Harder materials better resist the
gouging or ploughing action of abrasive particle flow.

There is an approximate relationship between hardness and the ultimate strength of the material.
The amount of abrasive wear decreases as the strength/hardness of the piping material
increases. To resist abrasion, the piping system must be harder than the material being
conveyed. The wear rates of various piping materials are often similar, so long as their hardness
is greater than the slurry so selecting a pipe material considerably harder than the conveyed
material offers no wear advantage and typically costs more. Conversely when the mineral is
harder than the pipe, there is a very sudden and steep rise in the abrasive wear rate.

There are distinct types of wear experienced in a typical piping system. The straight sections
most commonly experience abrasive erosion. Size transitions and directional changes
experience both abrasive erosion and impact abrasion and should be designed with this in mind.

Surge & Fatigue Loading


Design process for surge & fatigue loading of PE100 pipe

PE100 Pipe Types


In addition to conventional PE100 pipe there are several variants that have been developed for
specific applications.

PE100 RC
RC indicates resistance to cracking. PE100 RC is a resin that has an increased stress crack
resistance while maintaining the same MRS and rapid crack propagation resistance as
conventional PE100. It is intended for use in more severe conditions and is especially suitable
for trenchless methods. In Europe approximately 25% of PE100 usage in trenchless
applications, both new installation and rehabilitation, is PE100 RC.

Bimodal PE 100 materials with high resistance to slow and rapid crack propagation are classified
as set out in PAS (Publicly Available Specification) 1075 – Pipes made from Polyethylene for
Alternative Installation Techniques: Dimensions, Technical Requirements and Testing. In PAS
1075, which is a supplement to existing standards and guidelines, there are three different types of
RC pipe:

Type 1: Single-layer solid wall pipes made of PE 100 RC


Type 2: Pipes with dimensionally integrated protective layers of PE 100 RC
https://www.pe100plus.com/PE-Pipes/Technical-guidance/Trenchless/Methods/PE-Pipe-i1341.html 4/8
6/15/2020 PE & HDPE Pipe : Properties and Types of PE100 pipe

Type 3: Pipes with dimensions conforming to DIN 8074/ISO 4065 with an outer protective
casing. Inner pipe made of PE 100 RC.

Generally Types 1 & 2 are used for open trench applications where no sand bedding is used.
Type 3 is more commonly used for trenchless applications.

PE100 RT
RT indicates resistance to temperature. PE100 RT is a resin that has an increased resistance to
higher temperatures while maintaining the same mechanical properties as conventional PE100.
It is intended for use when ambient or fluid temperature are consistently above 50°C. This
material is more commonly used in hot water and industrial applications and relatively seldom in
buried water or gas networks. But in certain hot regions and applications it may be necessary.

Barrier PE Pipe
Certain gases and liquids can permeate through PE. Therefore when PE100 pipe is laid in
contaminated ground and the fluid in the pipe must be protected from contamination, for example
when potable water is carried, then a barrier pipe is necessary. Barrier pipe is co-extruded with a
barrier layer sandwiched between layers of PE100. The barrier layer is most commonly an
aluminium foil but may also be a special polymer such as EVOH.

Image courtesy: GPS PE Pipe Systems

PE100 barrier pipes are made by several PE manufacturers. Examples are:


Radius Systems: Puriton
Egeplast GmbH: SLA
GPS PE Pipe Systems: Protecta-Line

https://www.pe100plus.com/PE-Pipes/Technical-guidance/Trenchless/Methods/PE-Pipe-i1341.html 5/8
6/15/2020 PE & HDPE Pipe : Properties and Types of PE100 pipe

Coated PE Pipe
Coated PE100 pipe has a co-extruded harder outer layer, usually of polypropylene, to protect the
PE100 itself in installation conditions that are more severe. It is especially well suited to
trenchless techniques such as directional drilling and pipe bursting where there may be a risk of
damage to the pipe during installation. In certain coated PE100 pipes, such as ProFuse, the
outer layer is peelable to enable electrofusion couplings to be fused directly to the PE. This
peelable layer has the additional benefit of keeping the PE surface clean for electrofusion.

Coated PE100 RC pipes are generally Type 3 pipes under PAS1075.

Image courtesy: RADIUS SYSTEMS

Coated PE100 pipes are made by several manufacturers. Examples are:


Radius Systems: ProFuse
Egeplast GmbH: SLM
Pipelife: Robust Pipe

Other Co-extruded PE Pipe


Co-extrusion of PE100 enables several additional pipe variants to be manufactured, often with
several layers each with a different function. These include internal coatings, internal and
external coatings, and conducting layers or strips for leak monitoring or pipe detection. Pipes
with detection layers or strips have some application in trenchless installation because methods
such as directional drilling do not permit warning marker tapes to be buried above the pipe.

Several manufacturers have particular multi-layer PE100 pipes and can provide further
information.

USEFUL LINKS
Agru
Radius Systems
GPS PE Pipe Systems
egeplast
Pipelife
Wavin

https://www.pe100plus.com/PE-Pipes/Technical-guidance/Trenchless/Methods/PE-Pipe-i1341.html 6/8
6/15/2020 PE & HDPE Pipe : Properties and Types of PE100 pipe

GF Piping Systems
Simona
Rehau

Related keywords : pe pipe, rc pipe, pe100 pipe dimensions, tensile strength of pipe, modulus of elasticity of hdpe pipe, properties of
hdpe pipe, define flexural modulus, profuse pipe, yield strength of polyethylene, protecta line compression fittings, 100 pipes,
compressive strength of pvc pipe, flexural modulus definition, polyethylene modulus of elasticity, properties of pipe, pe properties,
protecta line barrier pipe, modulus of elasticity of pvc pipe, modulus of elasticity of polyethylene, hdpe pipe thermal expansion, yield
strength of pvc pipe, hdpe compressive strength, hdpe yield strength, pipe properties, polyethylene poisson ratio, hydrostatic design
basis, abrasion resistant plastic pipe, tensile strength of hdpe pipe, pipe material properties, pipe strength, hdpe thermal expansion,
types of poly pipe, hdpe pipe material, hdpe pipe properties, pe material properties, hdpe modulus of elasticity, modulus of elasticity of
hdpe, thermal expansion of hdpe

Last update Tuesday 29 May 2018   

You may also be interested in

What pipe lengths are available?


Limitation of PE pipe length Is the pipe manufacture is a continuous process, in theory the
lengths available are unlimited. In practice however the lengths are limited by transport, ease of
handling on site, other general site conditions and local practices. PE100 pipe is generally
available in three forms Straight lengths of pipe (diameters 90mm and above) in standard
lengths of 6, 10, 12, 15, 24, and 30 metres. For some special projects, e.g. sea outfall
installations, where transport can be...

Members of the
Association

https://www.pe100plus.com/PE-Pipes/Technical-guidance/Trenchless/Methods/PE-Pipe-i1341.html 7/8
6/15/2020 PE & HDPE Pipe : Properties and Types of PE100 pipe

https://www.pe100plus.com/PE-Pipes/Technical-guidance/Trenchless/Methods/PE-Pipe-i1341.html 8/8

You might also like