Ductile iron pipe

Ductile iron pipe is pipe made of duct ile cast iron commonly used for pot able wat er
t ransmission and dist ribut ion.[1] This t ype of pipe is a direct development of earlier cast iron pipe,
which it has superseded.[1] The duct ile iron used t o manufact ure t he pipe is charact erized by t he
spheroidal or nodular nat ure of t he graphit e wit hin t he iron.[2] Typically, t he pipe is manufact ured
using cent rifugal cast ing in met al or resin lined moulds.[3] Prot ect ive int ernal linings and ext ernal
coat ings are oft en applied t o duct ile iron pipes t o inhibit corrosion: t he st andard int ernal lining is
cement mort ar and st andard ext ernal coat ings include bonded zinc, asphalt or wat er-based
paint . In highly corrosive environment s loose polyet hylene sleeving (LPS) t o encase t he pipe may
also be used. Life expect ancy of unprot ect ed duct ile iron pipes depends on t he corrosiveness
of soil present and t ends t o be short er where soil is highly corrosive.[4] However, a lifespan in
excess of 100 years has been est imat ed for duct ile iron pipelines inst alled using "evolved laying
pract ices", including use of properly inst alled LPS (polyet hylene encasement ).[5][6] St udies of
duct ile iron pipe's environment al impact have differing findings regarding emissions and energy
consumed. Duct ile iron pipe manufact ured in t he Unit ed St at es has been cert ified as a
sust ainable product by t he Inst it ut e for Market Transformat ion t o Sust ainabilit y.[7][8]
Section of DICL pipe (ductile iron concrete lined), commonly used for utility water mains, showing iron casing, concrete
lining, and textured polymer protective coatings on the inner and outer surfaces.

Dimensions

Duct ile iron pipe is sized according t o a dimensionless t erm known as t he Pipe Size or Nominal
Diamet er (known by it s French abbreviat ion, DN). This is roughly equivalent t o t he pipe's int ernal
diamet er in inches or millimet ers. However, it is t he ext ernal diamet er of t he pipe t hat is kept
const ant bet ween changes in wall t hickness, in order t o maint ain compat ibilit y in joint s and
fit t ings. Consequent ly, t he int ernal diamet er varies, somet imes significant ly, from it s nominal size.
Nominal pipe sizes vary from 3 inches up t o 64 inches, in increment s of at least 1 inch, in t he
Unit ed St at es.

Pipe dimensions are st andardised t o t he mut ually incompat ible AWWA C151 (U.S. Cust omary
Unit s) in t he Unit ed St at es, ISO 2531 / EN 545/598 (met ric) in Europe, and AS/NZS 2280 (met ric)
in Aust ralia and New Zealand. Alt hough bot h met ric, European and Aust ralian are not compat ible
and pipes of ident ical nominal diamet ers have quit e different dimensions.

North America

Pipe dimensions according t o t he American AWWA C-151

 Outside Diameter

Pipe Size
[in (mm)]

3 3.96 (100.584)

4 4.80 (121.92)

6 6.90 (175.26)

8 9.05 (229.87)

10 11.10 (281.94)

12 13.20 (335.28)

14 15.30 (388.62)

16 17.40 (441.96)

18 19.50 (495.3)

20 21.60 (548.64)

24 25.80 (655.32)

30 32.00 (812.8)

Europe

European pipe is st andardized t o ISO 2531 and it s descendent specificat ions EN 545 (pot able
wat er) and EN 598 (sewage). European pipes are sized t o approximat ely mat ch t he int ernal
diamet er of t he pipe, following int ernal lining, t o t he nominal diamet er. ISO 2531 maint ains
dimensional compat ibilit y wit h older German cast iron pipes. Older Brit ish pipes, however, which
used t he incompat ible imperial st andard, BS 78, require adapt er pieces when connect ing t o newly
inst alled pipe. Coincident ally, t he Brit ish harmonizat ion wit h European pipe st andards occurred at
approximat ely t he same t ime as it s t ransit ion t o duct ile iron, so almost all cast iron pipe is
imperial and all duct ile pipe is met ric.
 Wall thickness

Outside Diameter

DN [mm (in)]
[mm (in)]
Class 40 K9 K10

40 56 (2.205) 4.8 (0.189) 6.0 (0.236) 6.0 (0.236)

50 66 (2.598) 4.8 (0.189) 6.0 (0.236) 6.0 (0.236)

60 77 (3.031) 4.8 (0.189) 6.0 (0.236) 6.0 (0.236)

65 82 (3.228) 4.8 (0.189) 6.0 (0.236) 6.0 (0.236)

80 98 (3.858) 4.8 (0.189) 6.0 (0.236) 6.0 (0.236)

100 118 (4.646) 4.8 (0.189) 6.0 (0.236) 6.0 (0.236)

125 144 (5.669) 4.8 (0.189) 6.0 (0.236) 6.0 (0.236)

150 170 (6.693) 5.0 (0.197) 6.0 (0.236) 6.5 (0.256)

200 222 (8.740) 5.4 (0.213) 6.3 (0.248) 7.0 (0.276)

250 274 (10.787) 5.8 (0.228) 6.8 (0.268) 7.5 (0.295)

300 326 (12.835) 6.2 (0.244) 7.2 (0.283) 8.0 (0.315)

350 378 (14.882) 7.0 (0.276) 7.7 (0.303) 8.5 (0.335)

400 429 (16.890) 7.8 (0.307) 8.1 (0.319) 9.0 (0.354)

450 480 (18.898) - 8.6 (0.339) 9.5 (0.374)

500 532 (20.945) - 9.0 (0.354) 10.0 (0.394)

600 635 (25.000) - 9.9 (0.390) 11.1 (0.437)

700 738 (29.055) - 10.9 (0.429) 12.0 (0.472)

800 842 (33.150) - 11.7 (0.461) 13.0 (0.512)

900 945 (37.205) - 12.9 (0.508) 14.1 (0.555)

1000 1,048 (41.260) - 13.5 (0.531) 15.0 (0.591)

1100 1,152 (45.354) - 14.4 (0.567) 16.0 (0.630)

1200 1,255 (49.409) - 15.3 (0.602) 17.0 (0.669)

1400 1,462 (57.559) - 17.1 (0.673) 19.0 (0.748)

1500 1,565 (61.614) - 18.0 (0.709) 20.0 (0.787)

1600 1,668 (65.669) - 18.9 (0.744) 51.0 (2.008)

1800 1,875 (73.819) - 20.7 (0.815) 23.0 (0.906)

2000 2,082 (81.969) - 22.5 (0.886) 25.0 (0.984)

Ot her European St andards give specificat ions on more dedicat ed product s:

EN 15655:2009 - Duct ile iron pipes, fit t ings and accessories - Int ernal polyuret hane lining for
pipes and fit t ings - Requirement s and t est met hods

EN 877:1999/A1:2006 - Cast iron pipes and fit t ings, t heir joint s and accessories for t he
evacuat ion of wat er from buildings - Requirement s, t est met hods and qualit y assurance

CEN/TR 15545:2006 - Guide t o t he use of EN 545

CEN/TR 16017:2010 - Guide t o t he use of EN 598

EN 877:1999 - Cast iron pipes and fit t ings, t heir joint s and accessories for t he evacuat ion of
wat er from buildings - Requirement s, t est met hods and qualit y assurance

EN 877:1999/A1:2006/AC:2008 - Cast iron pipes and fit t ings, t heir joint s and accessories for t he
evacuat ion of wat er from buildings - Requirement s, t est met hods and qualit y assurance

EN 598:2007+A1:2009 - Duct ile iron pipes, fit t ings, accessories and t heir joint s for sewerage
applicat ions - Requirement s and t est met hods

EN 12842:2012 - Duct ile iron fit t ings for PVC-U or PE piping syst ems - Requirement s and t est
met hods

CEN/TR 16470:2013 - Environment al aspect s of duct ile iron pipe syst ems for wat er and
sewerage applicat ions

EN 14628:2005 - Duct ile iron pipes, fit t ings and accessories - Ext ernal polyet hylene coat ing for
pipes - Requirement s and t est met hods

EN 15189:2006 - Duct ile iron pipes, fit t ings and accessories - Ext ernal polyuret hane coat ing for
pipes - Requirement s and t est met hods

EN 14901:2014 - Duct ile iron pipes, fit t ings and accessories - Epoxy coat ing (heavy dut y) of
duct ile iron fit t ings and accessories - Requirement s and t est met hods

EN 969:2009 - Duct ile iron pipes, fit t ings, accessories and t heir joint s for gas pipelines -
Requirement s and t est met hods
EN 15542:2008 - Duct ile iron pipes, fit t ings and accessories - Ext ernal cement mort ar coat ing
for pipes - Requirement s and t est met hods

EN 545:2010 - Duct ile iron pipes, fit t ings, accessories and t heir joint s for wat er pipelines -
Requirement s and t est met hods

EN 14525:2004 - Duct ile iron wide t olerance couplings and flange adapt ors for use wit h pipes of
different mat erials: duct ile iron, Grey iron, St eel, PVC-U PE, Fibre-cement

Australia & New Zealand

Aust ralian and New Zealand pipes are sized t o an independent specificat ion, AS/NZS [9] 2280, t hat
is not compat ible wit h European pipes even t hough t he same nomenclat ure is used. Aust ralia
adopt ed at an early point t he imperial Brit ish cast iron pipe st andard BS 78, and when t his was
ret ired on Brit ish adopt ion of ISO 2531, rat her t han similarly harmonizing wit h Europe, Aust ralia
opt ed for a 'soft ' conversion from imperial unit s t o met ric, published as AS/NSZ 2280, wit h t he
physical out er diamet ers remaining unchanged, allowing cont inuit y of manufact ure and
backwards compat ibilit y. Therefore, t he inner diamet ers of lined pipe differ widely from t he
nominal diamet er, and hydraulic calculat ions require some knowledge of t he pipe st andard.

Nominal Wall Thickness

Outside Diameter

Nominal Size (DN) [mm (in)] Flange Class

[mm (in)]
PN 20 PN 35

100 122 (4.803) - 5.0 (0.197) 7.0

150 177 (6.969) - 5.0 (0.197) 8.0

200 232 (9.134) - 5.0 (0.197) 8.0

225 259 (10.197) 5.0 (0.197) 5.2 (0.205) 9.0

250 286 (11.260) 5.0 (0.197) 5.6 (0.220) 9.0

300 345 (13.583) 5.0 (0.197) 6.3 (0.248) 10.0

375 426 (16.772) 5.1 (0.201) 7.3 (0.287) 10.0

450 507 (19.961) 5.6 (0.220) 8.3 (0.327) 11.0

500 560 (22.047) 6.0 (0.236) 9.0 (0.354) 12.0

600 667 (26.260) 6.8 (0.268) 10.3 (0.406) 13.0

750 826 (32.520) 7.9 (0.311) 12.2 (0.480) 15.0

 Joints

Individual lengt hs of duct ile iron pipe are joined eit her by flanges, couplings, or some form of
spigot and socket arrangement .

Flanges

Flanges are flat rings around t he end of pipes which mat e wit h an equivalent flange from anot her
pipe, t he t wo being held t oget her by bolt s usually passed t hrough holes drilled t hrough t he
flanges. A deformable gasket , usually elast omeric, placed bet ween raised faces on t he mat ing
flanges provides t he seal. Flanges are designed t o a large number of specificat ions t hat differ
because of dimensional variat ions in pipes sizes and pressure requirement s, and because of
independent st andards development . In t he U.S. flanges are eit her t hreaded or welded ont o t he
pipe. In t he European market flanges are usually welded ont o t he pipe. In t he US flanges are
available in a st andard 125 lb. bolt pat t ern as well as a 250 lb (and heavier) bolt pat t ern (st eel
bolt pat t ern). Bot h are usually rat ed at 250 psi (1,700 kPa). A flanged joint is rigid and can bear
bot h t ension and compression as well as a limit ed degree of shear and bending. It also can be
dismant led aft er assembly. Due t o t he rigid nat ure of t he joint and t he risk of excessive bending
moment being imposed, it is advised t hat flanged pipework is not buried.

Current flange st andards used in t he wat er indust ry are ANSI B16.1 in t he USA, EN 1092 in Europe,
and AS/NZS 4087 in Aust ralia and New Zealand.

Spigot and socket

Spigot and socket s involve a normal pipe end, t he spigot , being insert ed int o t he socket or bell
of anot her pipe or fit t ing wit h a seal being made bet ween t he t wo wit hin t he socket . Normal
spigot and socket joint s do not allow direct met al t o met al cont act wit h all forces being
t ransmit t ed t hrough t he elast omeric seal. They can consequent ly flex and allow some degree of
rot at ion, allowing pipes t o shift and relieve st resses imposed by soil movement . The corollary is
t hat unrest rained spigot and socket joint s t ransmit essent ially no compression or t ension along
t he axis of t he pipe and lit t le shear. Any bends, t ees or valves t herefore require eit her a
rest rained joint or, more commonly, t hrust blocks, which t ransmit t he forces as compression int o
t he surrounding soil.
A large number of different socket and seals exist . The most modern is t he 'push-joint ' or 'slip-
joint ', whereby t he socket and rubber seal is designed t o allow t he pipe spigot t o be, aft er
lubricat ion, simply pushed int o t he socket . Push joint s remain propriet ary designs. Also available
are locking gasket syst ems. These locking gasket syst ems allow t he pipe t o be pushed
t oget her but do not allow t he joint t o come apart wit hout using a special t ool or t orch on t he
gasket .

The earliest spigot and socket cast iron pipes were joint ed by filling t he socket wit h a mixt ure of
wat er, sand, iron filings and sal-ammoniac (ammonium chloride.) A gasket ring was pushed int o t he
socket round t he spigot t o cont ain t he mixt ure which was pounded int o t he socket wit h a
caulking t ool and t hen point ed off. This t ook several weeks t o set and produced a complet ely
rigid joint . Such pipe syst ems are oft en t o be seen in ninet eent h cent ury churches in t he heat ing
syst em.

Lifespan and corrosion

In t he lat e 1950s, duct ile iron pipe was int roduced t o t he market place, feat uring higher st rengt h
and similar corrosion resist ance compared t o cast iron.[10] According t o a 2004 st udy, an
expect ed lifespan of 100 years is likely for duct ile iron pipe, based on t est result s, field
inspect ions and in-service operat ions over 50 years.[11] In 2012, t he American Wat er Works
Associat ion report ed t hat duct ile iron pipes in benign soil or inst alled in more aggressive soils
using "evolved laying pract ices" had an est imat ed life up t o 110 years, based on a nat ionwide
analysis of wat er pipes in t he U.S.[5]

Like most ferrous mat erials, duct ile iron is suscept ible t o corrosion, t herefore it s useful life
depends on t he impact of corrosion.[1] Corrosion can occur in t wo ways in duct ile iron pipes:
graphit izat ion, t he leaching away of iron cont ent t hrough corrosion leading t o a generally
weakened pipe st ruct ure, and corrosion pit t ing, which is a more localized effect also causing
weakening of t he pipe st ruct ure.[10]

Over t he last 100 years, t he average t hickness of iron pipes has decreased due t o increased
met al st rengt h,[12] t hrough met allurgical advancement s as well as improved cast ing
t echnique.[13][14]

Methods for mitigating corrosion

The pot ent ial for corrosion, leading t o pipe failure, is significant ly impact ed by t he corrosivit y of
soil. Unprot ect ed pipes in highly corrosive soil t end t o have short er lifespans.[4] The lifespan of
duct ile iron pipe inst alled in an aggressive environment wit hout appropriat e prot ect ion may be
bet ween 21 and 40 years.[6][15] The int roduct ion of corrosion mit igat ion met hods for duct ile pipe,
including t he use of polyet hylene sleeving, can reduce corrosion by cont rolling t he effect of
corrosive soil on piping.[6]

In t he Unit ed St at es, t he American Nat ional St andards Inst it ut e and American Wat er Works
Associat ion have st andardized t he use of polyet hylene sleeving t o prot ect duct ile iron pipe from
t he effect s of corrosion.[3][16] A 2003 report by researchers from t he Nat ional Research Council
of Canada not ed t hat "bot h good and poor performances" of polyet hylene sleeving had been
report ed.[10] However, a st udy in t he Duct ile Iron Pipe Research Associat ion's Florida t est sit e
found t hat , compared wit h uncoat ed pipes exposed t o a corrosive environment , pipes encased in
loose polyet hylene sleeving were "in excellent condit ion".[6] Based on a 2005 met a analysis of
1,379 pipe specimens, loose polyet hylene sleeving was found t o be highly effect ive at
mit igat ing corrosion. The only environment for which t he analysis found t he polyet hylene
sleeving did not provide effect ive corrosion cont rol was for "uniquely severe" environment s, a
classificat ion of a rare but ext remely corrosive environment . The analysis found t hat a lifespan of
37 years could be expect ed in t hese "uniquely severe" environment s.[6]

Pipes manufact ured under Int ernat ional Organizat ion for St andardizat ion (ISO) st andards are
t ypically coat ed wit h zinc, t o provide prot ect ion against corrosion. In inst ances of more
aggressive soils, polyet hylene sleeving is inst alled over t he zinc coat ed pipe t o provide added
prot ect ion.[10][17]

Cat hodic prot ect ion may also be used t o prevent corrosion and t ends t o be advocat ed by
corrosion engineers for pipes in corrosive soils as an addit ion t o ext ernal dielect ric
coat ings.[10][18]

Engineers and wat er aut horit ies in t he Unit ed St at es are divided on t he use of different coat ings
or cat hodic prot ect ion. Mixed result s have been found for all met hods of prot ect ion. However,
t his may be due t o t he impact of variat ions in local soil corrosiveness and t emperat ure or by
damage occurring during inst allat ion, which can impact effect iveness of prot ect ive
coat ings.[10][18]

Internal linings
Duct ile iron pipe is somewhat resist ant t o int ernal corrosion in pot able wat er and less aggressive
forms of sewage. However, even where pipe mat erial loss and consequent ly pipe wall reduct ion
is slow, t he deposit ion of corrosion product s on t he int ernal pipe wall can reduce t he effect ive
int ernal diamet er. A variet y of linings are available t o reduce or eliminat e corrosion, including
cement mort ar, polyuret hane and polyet hylene. Of t hese, cement mort ar lining is by far t he most
common.

Polyurethane (PUR)

Polyuret hane is an opt ion offered as an int ernal lining for duct ile iron pipes in lieu of cement
mort ar. However, as PUR provides only passive prot ect ion it becomes vit ally import ant t hat t he
coat ing is not damaged during handling and inst allat ion. Manufact urers will specify st rict handling,
t ransport and inst allat ion procedures t o ensure PUR coat ings are prot ect ed. If pipes are
deformed Polyuret hane's elast icit y, does in some sit uat ions allow t he coat ing t o remain int act .
Corrosion Expert s (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20120702200903/ht t p://www.russellcorrosion.c
om/PublicPages/Home.aspx)

Polyuret hane coat ings were first used in 1972. In comparison wit h ot her coat ings, t he int ernal
polyuret hane lining exhibit s a high resist ance t o various different media such as drinking wat er,
wast ewat er, de-mineralised wat er, indust rial wat er and gas, as well as t o aggressive solut ions
such as sulphuric acid.

Polyuret hane is a t hermoset t ing plast ic wit h no solvent s, wit h a t hree-dimensionally linked
molecular st ruct ure giving it mechanical st abilit y. The polyuret hane lining used for int ernal
coat ing has t he following st andard propert ies is st andardised by EN 15655:2009 (Duct ile iron
pipes, fit t ings and accessories - Int ernal polyuret hane lining for pipes and fit t ings - Requirement s
and t est met hods).

Cement mortar

The predominant form of lining for wat er applicat ions is cement mort ar cent rifugally applied
during manufact uring. The cement mort ar comprises a mixt ure of cement and sand t o a rat io of
bet ween 1:2 and 1:3.5. For pot able wat er, port land cement is used; for sewage it is common t o
use sulfat e resist ing or high alumina cement .

Cement mort ar linings have been found t o dramat ically reduce int ernal corrosion. A DIPRA survey
has demonst rat ed t hat t he Hazen-Williams fact or of cement lining remains bet ween 130 and
151 wit h only slight reduct ion wit h age.

External coatings

Unprot ect ed duct ile iron, similarly t o cast iron, is int rinsically resist ant t o corrosion in most ,
alt hough not all, soils. Nonet heless, because of frequent lack of informat ion on soil
aggressiveness and t o ext end t he inst alled life of buried pipe, duct ile iron pipe is commonly
prot ect ed by one or more ext ernal coat ings. In t he U.S. and Aust ralia, loose polyet hylene sleeving
is preferred. In Europe, st andards recommend a more sophist icat ed syst em of direct ly bonded
zinc coat ings overlaid by a finishing layer be used in conjunct ion wit h polyet hylene sleeving.

Loose Polyethylene Sleeving (LPS)

Loose Polyet hylene sleeving was first developed by CIPRA (since 1979, DIPRA) in t he U.S. in
1951 for use in highly corrosive soil. It was employed more widely in t he U.S. in t he lat e 1950s
and first employed in t he UK in 1965 and Aust ralia in t he mid-1960s. Loose Polyet hylene Sleeving
(LPS) remains as one of t he most cost effect ive corrosion prot ect ion met hods available t oday
wit h a proven t rack record for reliabilit y and effect iveness.

LPS comprises a loose sleeve of polyet hylene t hat complet ely wraps t he pipe, including t he
bells of any joint s. The sleeving inhibit s corrosion by a number of mechanisms. It physically
separat es t he pipe from soil part icles, prevent ing direct galvanic corrosion. By providing an
impermeable barrier t o ground wat er, t he sleeve also inhibit s t he diffusion of oxygen t o t he
duct ile iron surface and limit s t he availabilit y of elect rolyt es t hat would accelerat e corrosion. It
provides a homogeneous environment along t he pipe surface so t hat corrosion occurs evenly
over t he pipe. The sleeve also rest rict s t he availabilit y of nut rient s which could support sulfat e-
reducing bact eria, inhibit ing microbially induced corrosion. LPS is not designed t o be complet ely
wat er-t ight but rat her t o great ly rest rict t he movement of wat er t o and from t he pipe
surface.[19] Wat er present beneat h t he sleeve and in cont act wit h t he pipe surface is rapidly
deoxygenat ed and deplet ed of nut rient s and forms a st able environment in which limit ed furt her
corrosion occurs. An improperly inst alled sleeve t hat cont inues t o allow t he free flow of ground
wat er is not effect ive in inhibit ing corrosion.

Polyet hylene sleeves are available in a number of mat erials. The most common cont emporary
composit ions are linear low-densit y polyet hylene film which requires an 8 mil or 200 μm t hickness
and high-densit y cross-laminat ed polyet hylene film which requires only a 4 mil or 100 μm
t hickness. The lat t er may or may not be reinforced wit h a scrim layer.
Polyet hylene sleeving does have limit at ions. In European pract ice, it s use in t he absence of
addit ional zinc and epoxy prot ect ive coat ings is discouraged where nat ural soil resist ivit y is
below 750 ohm/cm. Where resist ivit y is below 1500 ohm/cm and where t he pipe is inst alled at or
below t he wat er t able, where t here are addit ional art ificial soil cont aminant s and part icularly
st ray current s again it is recommended for use in addit ion t o zinc and epoxy coat ing.[19] Because
of t he vulnerabilit y of polyet hylene t o UV degradat ion, sleeving, or sleeved pipe should not be
st ored in sunlight , alt hough carbon pigment s included in t he sleeving can provide some limit ed
prot ect ion.

Polyet hylene sleeving is st andardised according t o ISO 8180 int ernat ionally, AWWA C105 in t he
U.S., BS 6076 in t he UK and AS 3680 and AS 3681 in Aust ralia.

Zinc

In Europe and Aust ralia, duct ile iron pipe is t ypically manufact ured wit h a zinc coat ing overlaid by
eit her a bit uminous, polymeric, or epoxy finishing layer. EN 545/598 mandat es a minimum zinc
cont ent of 200 g/m2 (at 99.99% purit y) and a minimum average finishing layer t hickness of 70 μm
(wit h local minimum of 50 μm). AS/NZS 2280 mandat es a minimum zinc cont ent of 200 g/m2
(wit h a local minimum of 180 g/m2 at 99.99% purit y) and a minimum average finishing layer
t hickness of 80 μm.

No current AWWA st andards are available for bonded coat ings (zinc, coal t ar epoxy, t ape-wrap
syst ems as seen on st eel pipe) for duct ile iron pipe, DIPRA does not endorse bonded coat ings,
and AWWA M41 generally views t hem unfavourably, recommending t hey be used only in
conjunct ion wit h cat hodic prot ect ion.[20]

Bituminous coatings

Zinc coat ings are generally not employed in t he U.S. In order t o prot ect duct ile iron pipe prior t o
inst allat ion, pipe is inst ead supplied wit h a t emporary 1 mil or 25 μm t hick bit uminous coat ing.
This coat ing is not int ended t o provide prot ect ion once t he pipe is inst alled.

Water based pipe coatings

Wat er based pipe coat ings, are an environment ally friendly coat ing t hat is applied t o t he inner &
out er diamet er of duct ile iron pipe. They prot ect against corrosion from t he out side and inside,
and also prot ect t he product from cont aminat ion. The coat ing is an emulsion manufact ured using
asphalt ene and wat er primarily, wit h ot her raw mat erials according t o t he manufact urer's
specificat ions.

They came in use in t he early 1990s, replacing coat ings based on dangerous and environment al
harmful solvent s, such as benzenes, t oluenes, hexanes and ot her volat ile organic compounds.

Industry associations and market

In t he Unit ed St at es, t he Duct ile Iron Pipe Research Associat ion represent s manufact urers of
duct ile iron pipe. The associat ion provides research on and promot es t he use of duct ile iron
piping in ut ilit y project s (wat er and sewer), focusing on it s st rengt h, recyclabilit y and life cycle
cost compared wit h alt ernat ive product s such as PVC.[21][22] The U.S. indust ry is also
represent ed by t he Nat ional Associat ion of Pipe Fabricat ors.[23] Out side of t he U.S., t he duct ile
iron pipe indust ry is support ed by associat ions including t he European Associat ion for Duct ile Iron
Pipe Syst ems.[24]

Following t he financial crisis of 2008, t he pipe indust ry as a whole, experienced a decrease in

sales in t he U.S. due t o municipalit ies deferring replacement of wat er mains and reduct ion in new
home const ruct ion.[25] According t o a report published by The Freedonia Group in 2011, economic
recovery from t he 2008 crisis is likely t o expand duct ile iron's market share in t he large diamet er
pipe market .[26]

Environmental

Duct ile iron pipe in t he developed world is normally manufact ured exclusively from recycled
mat erial including scrap st eel and recycled iron.[27][28] The pipe can be recycled aft er use.[29] In
t erms of environment al impact , several st udies have compared duct ile iron pipe's impact on t he
environment wit h t hat of ot her pipe mat erials.[30] A st udy by Jeschar et al. in 1995 compared t he
energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced in manufact uring pipes of various
mat erials including concret e, duct ile iron, cast iron and PVC, based on pipes wit h nominal
diamet er of 100 mm t o 500 mm. The energy consumed in manufact uring duct ile iron pipe was
19.55 MJ per kg and volume of emissions released during manufact ure was 1.430 kg CO2 per kg,
compared t o 68.30 MJ per kg of energy and 4.860 kg CO2 per kg emissions for PVC pipes, and
1.24 MJ per kg and 0.148 kg CO2 per kg for concret e pipes of t he same diamet er.[31] Anot her
st udy t he following year, by t he Forschungsinst it ut für Chemie und Umwelt , had similar findings.
However, it also t ook t he lifet ime of pipes int o account . This st udy found improved
environment al performance for duct ile iron pipe in t erms of energy consumed and emissions
produced during manufact ure due t o it s longer life span.[30] A more recent st udy, published
August 2012, by Du et al., carried out a life cycle analysis on six t ypes mat erials used for wat er
and wast e wat er pipes, including duct ile iron, PVC, high-densit y polyet hylene (HDPE) and
concret e. They found t hat at diamet ers of ≤ 24 in, duct ile iron pipe had t he highest "global
warming pot ent ial" based on emissions from manufact uring, t ransport at ion and inst allat ion. At
larger diamet ers, ≥ 30 in, duct ile iron pipe had a lower "global warming pot ent ial", while PVC had
t he highest .[32] According t o a 2008 st udy by Koo et al., duct ile iron pipe had t he lowest impact
on nat ural resource deplet ion, compared t o HDPE pipe and PVC pipe.[29] In November 2012,
duct ile iron pipe manufact ured in t he Unit ed St at es received cert ificat ion as a sust ainable
product from t he Inst it ut e for Market Transformat ion t o Sust ainabilit y.[7][8]

Notes

1. Moser, A. P. and Folkman, Steven L. (2008) Buried Pipe Design (3rd edition) McGraw-Hill, New
York, p. 336-337 (https://books.google.com/books?id=Ij_cB-Qx3mMC&pg=RA4-PA336) ,
ISBN 978-0-07-147689-8

2. Romanoff, Melvin (1968). "Performance of ductile-iron pipe in soils". Journal (American Water
Works Association). 60 (6): 645–655. doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.1968.tb03591.x (https://doi.o
rg/10.1002%2Fj.1551-8833.1968.tb03591.x) . JSTOR 41265349 (https://www.jstor.org/stab
le/41265349) .

3. Public Works April 15, 1995 Ductile iron mains; Water Supply and Treatment SECTION: Pg.
pC34(4) Vol. V126 No. N5 ISSN 0033-3840 (https://www.worldcat.org/search?fq=x0:jrnl&q=n
2:0033-3840)

4. Deb, Arun K.; Grablutz, Frank M.; Hasit, Yakir (2002). Prioritizing Water Main Replacement and
Rehabilitation (https://books.google.com/books?id=gdOE8kAhXrgC&q=lifespan+%22ductile+
iron+pipe%22&pg=PA54) . American Water Works Association. p. 54. ISBN 978-
1583212165. Retrieved 18 October 2012.

5. American Water Works Association (2012). Buried No Longer: Confronting Americas Water
Infrastructure Challenge (https://web.archive.org/web/20120914110710/http://www.awwa.or
g/files/GovtPublicAffairs/GADocuments/BuriedNoLongerCompleteFinal.pdf) (PDF)
(Report). American Water Works Association. p. 8. Archived from the original (http://www.aw
wa.org/files/GovtPublicAffairs/GADocuments/BuriedNoLongerCompleteFinal.pdf) (PDF) on
14 September 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
 6. Bonds, Richard W.; Barnard, Lyle M.; Horton, A. Michael; Oliver, Gene L. (2005). "Corrosion and
corrosion control of iron pipe: 75 years of research". Journal (American Water Works
Association). 97 (6): 88–98. doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.2005.tb10915.x (https://doi.org/10.10
02%2Fj.1551-8833.2005.tb10915.x) . JSTOR 41312605 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4131
2605) .

7. "Ductile Iron Pipe" (http://mts.sustainableproducts.com/DIP%20SMaRT%20Summary%20She

et-1.pdf) (PDF). mts.sustainableproducts.com. Institute for Market Transformation to
Sustainability. Retrieved 8 January 2013.

8. "Ductile iron deemed 'sustainable' pipe material" (http://www.pwmag.com/pipes/ductile-iron-

deemed-sustainable-pipe-material.aspx) (Press release). Public Works. 27 November 2012.
Retrieved 8 January 2013.

9. "Standards Australia" (https://web.archive.org/web/20141130224909/http://www.standards.

org.au/Pages/default.aspx) . Archived from the original (http://www.standards.org.au/Page
s/default.aspx) on 2014-11-30. Retrieved 2014-11-17.

10. Rajani, Balvant; Kleiner, Yehuda (2003). "Protecting ductile-iron Water Mains: What protection
method works best for what soil condition?" (https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/ac
cepted/?id=e450a75e-fd1b-429e-99d5-14e45d5e5ec4) . Journal (American Water Works
Association). 95 (11): 110–125. doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.2003.tb10497.x (https://doi.org/1
0.1002%2Fj.1551-8833.2003.tb10497.x) . JSTOR 41311262 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4
1311262) .

11. Kroon, David H.; Linemuth, Dale Donald; Sampson, Sheri L.; Vincenzo, Terry (2004). Corrosion
Protection of Ductile Iron Pipe (http://www.onepetro.org/mslib/servlet/onepetropreview?id=N
ACE-04046) . Corrosion (2004) - Conference. pp. 1–17. doi:10.1061/40745(146)75 (https://
doi.org/10.1061%2F40745%28146%2975) . ISBN 978-0-7844-0745-5. Retrieved 18 October
2012.

12. Roberge, Pierre R. (2007). Corrosion Inspection and Monitoring (https://books.google.com/b

ooks?id=lnrLiXCPvF0C&q=lifespan+%22ductile+iron+pipe%22&pg=PA173) . Wiley. p. 173.
ISBN 978-0471742487. Retrieved 17 October 2012.

13. "Ductile Iron Metallurgy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130127013915/http://www.napf.co

m/node/65) . NAPF.com. National Association of Pipe Fabricators. 2012. Archived from the
original (http://www.napf.com/node/65) on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
14. Campbell, Flake C. (2008). Elements of Metallurgy and Engineering Alloys (https://books.goo
gle.com/books?id=6VdROgeQ5M8C&q=ductile+iron+strength+magnesium&pg=PA465) .
ASM International. pp. 464–465. ISBN 978-0871708670. Retrieved 29 January 2013.

15. "Buried No Longer—Confronting America's Water Infrastructure Challenge" (http://www.awwa.

org/Portals/0/files/legreg/documents/BuriedNoLonger.pdf) (PDF). American Water Works
Association (AWWA). 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2017.

16. American water Works Association and American National Standards Institute (1 October
2010). ANSI/AWWA C105/A21.5-10 Polyethylene Encasement for Ductile-Iron Pipe Systems
(Report). AWWA.

17. Technical Committee ISO/TC 5 (2009). International Standard ISO/FDIS 2531: Ductile iron
pipes, fittings, accessories and their joints for water applications (Report). International
Organization for Standardization. p. 59.

18. Burstall, Tim (1997). Bulk Water Pipelines (https://books.google.com/books?id=T8Wi5WN4e

wUC&q=lifespan+%22ductile+iron+pipe%22&pg=PA3) . Thomas Telford Ltd. p. 200.
ISBN 978-0727726094. Retrieved 18 October 2012.

19. IGN 4-50-03 - Operating Guidelines for the Use of Site-Applied, Factory Applied and
Reinforced Factory Applied Polyethylene Sleeving on Ductile Iron Pipeline Systems "Archived
copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110723102005/http://www.water.org.uk/home/memb
er-services/wis-and-ign/current-documents-plastics-and-rubbers/ign-4-50-03.pdf) (PDF).
Archived from the original (http://www.water.org.uk/home/member-services/wis-and-ign/curr
ent-documents-plastics-and-rubbers/ign-4-50-03.pdf) (PDF) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved
2009-07-04.

20. AWWA Manual M41 - Ductile-Iron Pipe and Fittings (http://apps.awwa.org/ebusmain/OnlineSt

ore/ProductDetail/tabid/55/Default.aspx?ProductId=6729)

21. "Who we are" (https://archive.is/20130414154541/http://www.dipra.org/who-we-are/) .

dipra.org. Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association. Archived from the original (http://www.dipr
a.org/who-we-are/) on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.

22. "Study Brings Water Infrastructure Challenges to Surface" (http://www.american-usa.com/new

s-stories/25) . american-usa.com. American Cast Iron Pipe Company. 15 June 2012.
Retrieved 30 January 2013.

23. "Home Page" (http://www.napf.com/home) . napf.com. The National Association of Pipe

Fabricators. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
24. "Fachgemeinschaft Guss-Rohrsysteme (FGR) e. V. / European Association for Ductile Iron
Pipe Systems" (http://www.environmental-expert.com/companies/fachgemeinschaft-guss-ro
hrsysteme-fgr-e-v-european-association-for-ductile-iron-pipe-systems-45225) .
environmental-expert.com. Environmental Expert.com. Retrieved 30 January 2013.

25. "What to do with U. S. Pipe?" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121204083745/http://www.am

ericanwaterintel.com/archive/2/6/insight/what-do-u-s-pipe.html) . American Water
Intelligence. June 2011. Archived from the original (http://www.americanwaterintel.com/archi
ve/2/6/insight/what-do-u-s-pipe.html) on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2013.

26. Plastics Today Staff (21 April 2011). "Plastic pipe demand to rise, but ductile iron and
concrete do better" (http://www.plasticstoday.com/articles/plastic-pipe-demand-rise-ductile-ir
on-and-concrete-do-better-042405) . Plastics Today. Retrieved 30 January 2013.

27. AWWA Manual M41: Ductile-Iron Pipe and Fittings (https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3m

Tf1licJIC&q=%22ductile+iron+pipe%22+recycled+metal&pg=PA13) . American Water Works
Association. 2002. p. 13. ISBN 978-1583212189. Retrieved 9 October 2012.

28. "Manufacturing Ductile Iron Pipe" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120512050913/http://ww

w.pscipco.com/ductile_iron_pipe.html) . PSCIPCO.com. Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe
Company. Archived from the original (http://www.pscipco.com/ductile_iron_pipe.html) on
12 May 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.

29. Koo, Dae-Hyun; Ariaratnam, Samuel T. (August 2008). "Application of a Sustainability Model
for Assessing Water Main Replacement Options". Journal of Construction Engineering and
Management. 134 (8): 563–574. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2008)134:8(563) (https://do
i.org/10.1061%2F%28ASCE%290733-9364%282008%29134%3A8%28563%29) .

30. Friedrich, E; Pillay, S; Buckley, CA (July 2007). "The use of LCA in the water industry and the
case for an environmental performance indicator" (http://www.ajol.info/index.php/wsa/articl
e/viewFile/52938/41538) . Water SA. 33 (4): 443–452. ISSN 0378-4738 (https://www.world
cat.org/issn/0378-4738) . Retrieved 5 October 2012.

31. Jeschar, R; Specht, E; Steinbrück, A (April 1995). "Energieverbrauch und CO2-Emission bei der
Herstellung und Entsorgung von Abwasserrohren aus verschiedenen Werkstoffen" (http://bas
es.bireme.br/cgi-bin/wxislind.exe/iah/online/?IsisScript=iah/iah.xis&src=google&base=REPID
ISCA&lang=p&nextAction=lnk&exprSearch=53787&indexSearch=ID) [Energy consumption
and CO2 emissions during the manufacturing and disposal of sewers of different materials].
Korrespondenz Abwasser (in German). 42 (4): 537–40, 542–4, 546–9. Retrieved 8 October
2012.
32. Du, F; Woods, G; Kang, D; Lansey, K; Arnold, A (August 2012). "Life Cycle Analysis for Water
and Wastewater Pipe Materials". Journal of Environmental Engineering. 139 (5): 703–711.
doi:10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000638 (https://doi.org/10.1061%2F%28ASCE%29EE.19
43-7870.0000638) .

External links

Official Web Sit e of t he Duct ile Iron Pipe Research Associat ion (ht t p://www.dipra.org/)

Official Web Sit e of Wat er Services Associat ion Aust ralia (ht t ps://www.wsaa.asn.au/Product Ap
praisals/Pages/Product -Appraisals.aspx?View=%7Bb2be3262-6458-458f-af03-3d9f7926cd1
7%7D&Sort Field=Product &Sort Dir=Asc#.VGFORfmUeZc/)

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Ductile_iron_pipe&oldid=1031354241"

Last edited 1 month ago by 71.92.237.5

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

otherwise noted.