HDPE Conduit Systems: Using an ASTM Standard

to Design and Build Your Network

Presented by
David Allison, Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc.
White G. Jee, BP Solvay Polyethylene North America

Abstract

This presentation will highlight the advantages of HDPE conduit and focus on the
importance to assure performance properties are included in the design of a conduit
system by use of ASTM F 2160. “Standard Specification for Solid Wall High Density
Polyethylene (HDPE) Conduit Based on Controlled Outside Diameter (OD)” and ASTM
F 2176 “Standard Specification for Mechanical Couplings Used on Polyethylene
Conduit, Duct and Innerduct”. Based upon needs of the telecom industry to develop
some minimum level of performance in the quality of HDPE conduit, a consensus ASTM
Standard was published this year. Two years ago at OSP 2000 Expo in the presentation
“Underground Issues: Using HDPE Conduit in Telecom Installations”, it was illustrated
that the quality of HDPE conduit systems were not always the same and as a result, the
need and enforcement of a product quality standard could not be overemphasized. The
PPI Conduit Division and the ASTM F17 Plastics Piping Committee recognized this need
to develop a consensus ASTM standard and as a result, ASTM F 2160 has been generated
and published for the industry’s application. This presentation will focus on the material,
dimensional, workmanship and performance requirements for polyethylene conduit, duct
and innerduct manufactured for use in a non-pressure application with communication,
CATV, or power wire and cables.

In summary, upon attending this presentation, one will gain a better understanding on the
contents of ASTM F 2160 and ASTM F 2176 and the importance of using it in the design
to build a network.

Introduction

Do you know what you are getting when you order HDPE conduit? Have you been
surprised by the various sizes of HDPE conduit? Have you experienced problems in
attempting to couple conduit that is supposed to be the same size? Have you observed
excessive variations of wall thicknesses in your conduit? Have you had conduit crack on
reels? Have you seen the color of a conduit change or fade during storage or installation?
Have you had conduit break or stretched while pulling during installation? Have you
found that your installed conduit has cracked and is filled with dirt and/or water or has
become useless?
Although the above incidents may only appear minor in nature, the bottom line is these
incidents cost the telecommunications industry time and money. Therefore, have you
identified the causes for these abnormalities and more importantly, have you taken action
to eliminate them?

Although the telecommunications industry has changed significantly over the last few
years, the importance of assuring a conduit system is designed and built right the first
time cannot be overstated. Since multiple conduits are installed in today’s systems with
the intent that some of these conduits remain empty for future expansion or upgrades, it is
extremely important that some minimum level of performance be established via industry
consensus standard. Therefore, the Plastics Pipe Institute’s Conduit Division was formed
to address this standard development along with other industry-related topics.

PPI Conduit Division

The Conduit Division of the Plastics Pipe Institute promotes and grows the use of
polyethylene pipe for cable conduit applications, with the objective of establishing
consistent high quality performance. The objective is achieved through:
• Establishing product standards;
• Educating end users; and
• Product stewardship.

The following companies are members of the Conduit Division:

• AGRU America, Inc.
• Amiantit Oman
• Ampacet Corporation
• ARNCO Corporation
• ATOFINA Petrochemicals, Inc.
• BP Solvay Polyethylene North America
• Carlon
• Central Plastics Inc.
• Chevron Phillips Chemical Company
• CommScope, Inc.
• Dow Chemical Company
• Dura-Line Corporation
• Endot Industries Inc.
• Equistar Chemicals, LP
• Formosa Plastics Corp. USA
• JM Manufacturing Co., Inc.
• KWH Pipe Ltd.
• Modern Dispersions, Inc.
• NOVA Chemicals
• NSF International
• OSI Plastics
 • Performance Pipe
• Petromont
• PolyOne Southwest Chemical Services
• Rapid Industrial Plastics Co. Inc.
• Reliance Industries Ltd.
• Rinker Materials PolyPipe
• Uponor Aldyl Company

Advantages of HDPE Conduit

The HDPE industry has over 40 years experience in designing buried piping systems.
HDPE with its high performance characteristics, crush strength, bending radius and
superior pulling ability, provides the extra security needed to protect valuable cables from
road utility construction, random dig ups, and rodent damage. Historical experience has
shown that cable and fiber optics installed in HDPE conduit experience fewer failures
than direct buried cables. Also, the cost of labor to replace a cable in conduit is far less
than the cost of replacing direct buried cables.

Using HDPE conduit offers the following advantages:

• Long-term strength for extended life and performance
• Strength to withstand external loads
• Lightweight and flexible, allowing for various installation methods
• Low coefficient of friction, allowing longer and faster cable installations
• Mechanical protection for cables
• Resistance to corrosive chemicals and aggressive soils
• Moisture proof and watertight
• Extended outdoor storage life
• Protection against rodents
• Available in long lengths requiring fewer joints, lowering installation costs
• Sequential footage markings
• Color coded for easy identification
• Pre-installed cable provides one step placement of cable and conduit
• Wide range of splicing choices, from heat to mechanical couplers

The HDPE Conduit Dilemma

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) resins are available in different sizes, shapes, and
properties as needed for the end-use application. Resins are designed to meet certain
property requirements that are necessary in the final end-use product. Many standards
specify the type of HDPE resin to use for the application. However, until the publication
of ASTM F 2160, there was no consensus industry-wide specification that had been
applied for HDPE conduit in buried applications. As a result, various types of HDPE
resins were being utilized in producing conduit and thus, the abnormalities that cost the
telecommunications industry time and money existed.

In today’s conduit market, the following various types of HDPE are being used: prime
resins specifically designed for telecommunications conduit, prime resins specifically
designed for other applications, blended resins to meet certain properties, and wide-spec
resins which do not meet the specification requirements of any particular application. Do
you know what type of HDPE is used in the conduit you install?

Understanding the Needs in Designing a Conduit System

There are two phases in a conduit system’s life cycle – installation and long-term service.
Both phases must be considered in design. Short-term, conduit must survive today’s
aggressive installation methods such as direct plowing and directional drilling. Long-
term, conduit must be made from HDPE that will withstand years under stress in a buried
environment.

In designing a system for long-term reliability, here are points to consider:

• Type of installation environment
• Capacity
• Length of time conduit will remain empty before being utilized
• Airtight requirements (so cable blowing can be used)
• Watertight requirements (to keep conduit clear of debris and to prevent cable
damage).

A common misconception is that if the conduit is tough enough to make it through the
installation, then it will last long after it is buried. This is not necessarily true. There
must be a balance of properties. A conduit that is very strong and stiff may appear to
handle the rigors of installation quite well, but short-term toughness won’t protect
conduit from stress cracking and collapse under long-term stresses associated with earth
loading, or from concentrated contact with the sharp edge of a rock.

On the other hand, a very ductile conduit may be easily handled in a tight operating
environment as well as very resistant to stress cracking. However, in a direct buried
application, soil weight may ovalize or completely buckle conduit without long-term
strength to resist continuous loads. Therefore, you need a balance of properties for your
conduit.

ASTM F 2160 – Establishing a Minimum Level of Performance for Conduit

This specification covers material, dimensional, workmanship and performance

requirements for polyethylene conduit, duct and innerduct manufactured for use in a non-
pressure application with communication, CATV, or power wire and cable.
Materials

The material requirements for PE conduit shall be classified in accordance with ASTM
Standard D 3350 “Standard Specification for Polyethylene Plastic Pipe and Fittings
Materials”. ASTM D 3350 defines important physical properties of HDPE materials into
ranges, or cell classes, so that each property can be defined within a range that is
appropriate for the application. For HDPE conduit according to ASTM F 2160, the
polyethylene material is defined as noted below:

Property Range or Minimum Units Cell Class

Requirement
Density 0.941 – 0.955 g/cc 3
Melt Indexa <0.15 – 0.40 g/10 minutes 3 or 4
Flexural Modulus 110,000 – 160,000 Psi 4 or 5
Tensile Strength 3,000 – 4,000 Psi 4 or 5
ESCRb F20 > 192 Hours (condition C) 3 or 4
HDB Not defined 0,1,2,3, or 4
a
A melt index of up to 0.55 g/10 minutes is allowable provided that all other material requirements are met.
b
A ESCR, condition B, 10% Igepal of F10 >96 hours is allowable provided that all other material requirements are met.

Density and Tensile Strength

The density range for typical polyethylene is from 0.910 g/cc to 0.965 g/cc. This may
seem to be a very small range, but it has a major impact on the physical properties and
defines short-term resin characteristics such as tensile strength, stiffness, and flexural
modulus.
In general, higher density means
higher tensile strength and greater
Density Range for Polyethylene (g/cc)
propensity to stress cracking over time.
Low Density 0.910-0.925 Rubbery Low-density materials will be almost
Example: Trash bags, film, coatings rubber-like, very flexible with tensile
yield strength of around 1500 psi. This
Med. Density 0.926-0.940 Flexible type of material would not work at all
Example: Geomembrane sheet, film in a buried environment because it
would easily buckle and flatten.
High Density 0.941-0.965 Stiff If the conduit is made from a PE
Example: Pipe (low end range) resin with too high of a density, it could
Bleach Bottles (high end range) start to stress crack in a buried
Milk Bottles (top end of range) environment or from rock impingement
and result in premature failure. This
would render the conduit unusable for
future cable installation. ASTM F 2160 allows for a density range of 0.941 to 0.955
grams/ cc and a tensile strength range of 3000 to 4000 psi.
Melt Index

Another important base resin property is melt index, or molecular weight, of the resin.
Melt index gives a general indication of the length of the polymer chains. The lower the
melt index, the higher the molecular weight and viscosity.

Molecular weight is important for buried pipe design and service life. Low molecular
weight PE resins are prone to creep over prolonged periods of stress, such as continuous
earth loading. If low molecular weight PE resins are used to produce conduit, it may not
be able to stand up against heavy earth loading and could ovalize and buckle over time.
If molecular weight is too high, it may needlessly drive up your cost and time to produce
conduit. ASTM F 2160 allows for a melt index (MI 190/2.16 as per ASTM D 1238)
range of < 0.15 to 0.55 grams/10 minutes.

Stabilizers

Chemicals called heat stabilizers, antioxidants, and UV absorbers are added to PE resin
during manufacture to help the polymer perform in its intended application. Some HDPE
formulations, such as for milk bottles, are designed for a one-month service life. Others
formulations, like those for household chemical bottles (shampoo, bleach, etc.), have a
little more durability and are intended for about a one year service life. None of these
formulations are meant for long-term service.

Heat stabilizers and antioxidants protect the polymer from degradation and oxidation
during processing and in service. HDPE resins designed for long-term applications have a
better protection package, or what is called thermal stability. This is important for
conduit applications because PE resin with a light stabilization package may degrade and
oxidize over time. This causes conduit to become brittle and crack, which necessitates
costly repair to your valuable asset in the ground.

UV Protection

The last part of the resin formulation is ultraviolet protection. Polyethylene can be
degraded with continued exposure to ultraviolet energy (sunlight). Carbon black protects
PE resin best from ultraviolet attack. When properly added, 2-3% carbon black can
protect the polymer for more than 40 years of direct sunlight exposure. That is why the
PE resins used as wire and cable coatings for aerial applications are always black. ASTM
F 2160 indicates that PE material for black conduit in non-UV exposed applications and
in long-term above ground applications shall be stabilized with a minimum of 2% by
weight carbon black. Additionally, the size of carbon black for conduit used in aerial
applications must have an average particle size of less than or equal to 20 nanometers.
When black conduit is not desired, a chemical UV stabilizer can be added to the
formulation. Depending on the amount added, the polymer can be protected for several
years of direct exposure to sunlight. ASTM F 2160 indicates that PE material for colored
conduit in non-UV exposed applications shall be suitably protected against UV
degradation so that conduit may be stored outside and uncovered for a period of not less
than one year.

ESCR – Environmental Stress Crack Resistance

Density and melt index define most physical

properties of the material. Environmental Stress
Crack Resistance (ESCR) defines long-term
resistance to failure by stress cracking. The
ESCR test is an index type test that compares the
relative performance of materials. The longer IGEPAL® Solution
the material lasts under this test, the less likely it "C"
Shaped
will be susceptible to failure by stress cracking in Bracket
service. This particular test is performed
according to ASTM D1693 “Standard Test Fig. 3 – Diagram of bent strip ESCR testing to ASTM D1693.
Method for Environmental Stress-Cracking of
Ethylene Plastics.” This test is also known as
the “bent strip” ESCR test due to the shape of the
10 Notched Test
test coupons. Developed in the 1940’s by Bell Specimen in C Shaped
Labs to better qualify PE resins for wire and
cable coating applications, the ESCR test has
been used for many years in the PE pressure piping industry. Its longevity has produced
great experience in applying results to expected field performance in service. ASTM
F 2160 specifies that the ESCR can either be F20>192 hours, condition C, 100% Igepal
or F10 >96 hours, condition B, 10% Igepal.

Prime Resin for Conduit: What is it and why does it matter?

“Prime” resin is manufactured specifically for a particular application, and production

specifications have been written based on the desired properties of the resin. It is
important to note that prime resins specifically designed for conduit have different
properties than for prime resins designed for other applications such as blowmolding or
injection molding.

“Wide spec” resin is material produced outside the intended production specification and
is subject to large variances in performance. Performance guarantees are also difficult to
obtain from suppliers using wide-spec materials.

“Blended” resins are more complicated because they are a blend of multiple resins,
including wide-spec, to produce material that appears to be adequate according to bulk
properties such as density and melt index. However, the “blended” material often has
only a fraction of the ESCR performance of a similar “prime” HDPE material.

As is seen in the table below, density, melt index, tensile strength, and flexural modulus
all appear to be acceptable. These are all short-term tests and such a material would
probably perform adequately during installation of the conduit. However, when the
ESCR test results are compared, it is quite clear that the blended resins and prime resins
not designed for conduit applications fall far short of the requirements and could present
serious threats to the long-term integrity of a conduit system using these materials.

Analyses of HDPE Samples from a Conduit Manufacturer

Sample A B C D Units
Type ASTM Prime for Prime for Blended Blended
F2160 Conduit Other
Require-
ments
Density 0.941 to 0.948 0.949 0.950 0.948 g/cc
0.955
Melt 0.15 to 0.30 0.28 0.26 0.25 g/10 min.
Index 0.55
Tensile 3000 to 3,300 3,450 3,250 3,750 Psi
Strength 4000
@ Yield
Flex 110,000 to 130,000 114,000 130,000 135,000 Psi
Modulus 160,000

ESCR, > 192 > 192 24 5 12 Hours

F20
(cond. C)
ESCR, >96 >96 36 10 20 Hours
F10
(cond. B)

Letter of Certification

With the availability of various resins on the market, how can a system owner be assured
that the proper materials were used in the manufacture of their conduit? The best
assurance is to require a Letter of Certification (LOC) from the conduit producer and/or
resin producer. This Letter of Certification documents that the conduit meets the
performance requirements and material requirements of ASTM F 2160. Another
safeguard is to assure that the conduit is properly marked with the ASTM F 2160
designation on the print line. When mutually agreeable between the manufacturer and
purchaser, additional safeguards can be implemented based upon end-user requirements.
Workmanship and Dimensional Requirements

Each layer of the conduit shall be homogeneous throughout and essentially uniform in
color, opacity, density and other properties. The inside and outside surfaces shall be free
of visible cracks, holes, blisters, voids, foreign inclusions, or other deleterious defects.

Dimensions and tolerances for outside diameters and wall thicknesses are specified in
ASTM F 2160 in various tables for conduit produced to IPS sizes, Schedule 40 and 80,
and “true” sizing. Additionally, ribbed conduit, friction reduction, toe-in, and ovality are
addressed in the dimensions and tolerances requirements section of ASTM F 2160.

Test Performance Requirements of Conduit

• All specimens shall be measured before testing in accordance with Test Method
ASTM D 2122 “Standard Test Method for Determining Dimensions of
Thermoplastic Pipe and Fittings”.

• The minimum elongation at break shall be 400% when tested according to Test
Method D 638 “Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics”.

• The conduit shall not fail when tested at the low-temperature conditions of -4° F
as specified in ASTM F 2160 and using the test apparatus as described in Test
Method ASTM D 2444 “Test Method for Impact Resistance of Thermoplastic
Pipe and Fittings by Means of a Tup (Falling Weight)”.

ASTM F 2176 – Establishing Minimum Level of Performance for Mechanical

Couplings Used on Polyethylene Conduit, Duct and Innerduct

This specification establishes requirements for material, performance, workmanship and

test methods for the qualification of 2 in. and smaller mechanical couplings that connect
to DR 15.5 and lower polyethylene conduit, duct and innerduct covered by Specification
ASTM F 2160.

Materials

The physical properties of each material used to produce mechanical couplings shall be
available from the coupling manufacturer upon request. Specifications outlining all the
physical properties and effects of environmental conditions for materials of manufacture
shall be available from the coupling manufacturer upon request.
Workmanship, Finish and Appearance

The manufacture of couplings shall be in accordance with good commercial practice,

uniform in color and free of visual defects such as burns, cracks, holes, foreign materials
or voids so as to produce fittings meeting the requirements of this standard. The
manufacturer, upon request of the user shall furnish critical dimensions and tolerances of
the couplings.

Test Performance Requirements of Mechanical Couplings for Conduit

• The coupling/conduit joint shall not fail by leakage when subjected to sustained
internal pressure testing as noted in ASTM F 2176.

• The coupling/conduit joint shall not fail by leakage when subjected to sustained
external pressure testing as noted in ASTM F 2176.

• The coupling/conduit joint assemblies tested shall be able to comply with tensile
loading requirements as specified in ASTM F 2176.

• The joint or coupling shall not fail by pullout when loaded to axial tensile load
requirements as specified in ASTM F 2176.

• As specified in ASTM F 2176, the coupling shall not fail when conditioned at low
temperature condition of 10° F and tested by an impact with a force of 20 ft-lbf
using Tup “B” as described in Test Method ASTM D 2444.

Summary

Today’s conduit systems must be designed and built for long-term performance. Under
the aegis of ASTM Committee F17 on Plastic Piping Systems, two consensus standards,
ASTM F 2160 and ASTM F 2176, have been published for use to assure performance
properties are included in the design of conduit systems.