Welcome to John’s Blog. Answers to frequently asked questions are periodically posted here. The objective is to share information about PVC pipe with readers as well as with utilities, design engineers and pipe installers. The blog provides the latest information on PVC pipe design, installation, and application for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
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John Houle: Senior Technical Consultant, PVC Pipe Industry
John Houle holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri and an MBA from the University of Oregon. He has more than 25 years of experience in the plastic pipe industry in applications engineering, market development, forensic analysis, technical writing, and standards development.
Lessons Learned from Ductile Iron Pipe is a six-volume study of iron pipe corrosion. The study was undertaken by the American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association in conjunction with several large consulting engineering companies.
The iron pipe industry likes to brag about pipe that has been in service for a long time – some for more than 100 years. However, it’s important to put this into proper context.
Installation of PVC pipe into mechanical joint (MJ) appurtenances is a very common occurrence in North American municipal pressure pipelines. Problems with MJ connections can be minimized if proper installation techniques are used.
When it is necessary to transition between PVC and DI pipe, there are several considerations to keep in mind.
Thrust forces are developed in a pressure pipe whenever there is a change in flow. When joint restraint is required to accommodate these forces, the most commonly used method is external joint-restraint devices. These devices have been used successfully on PVC pipe for more than 25 years.
New online calculator for PVC sewer force mains uses project parameters to calculate expected cyclic life and determine the appropriate DR for projects.
It is common practice to pressure test installed pipelines to ensure that the pipe materials and installation are satisfactory. In fact, it makes sense that every installed pipeline be pressure tested to ensure a leak-free system.
Your quick reference guide of applicable standards for PVC pressure, sewer and reclaimed water pipe.
In 1980 ASTM published its F679 standard for solid-wall PVC pipe and fittings. The standard’s title, “Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Large-Diameter Plastic Gravity Sewer Pipe and Fittings,” was appropriate at the time, because the product sizes ranged from 18-inch to a maximum size of 27-inch.
This tech brief focuses on the third method, axial deflection. Mathematically the idea is simple. For example, if you want to change direction by 5° and the allowable change in direction at each joint is 1°, then you need to deflect 5 joints.
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