Technical Blog

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.

An Engineering Primer on AWWA C900/C905 PVC Pipe

Posted By John Houle on Sep 16, 2016

Engineers who are unfamiliar with PVC pressure pipe sometimes have a list of questions about the product. These questions, which often arise from misinformation propagated by competitive materials, usually have logical answers based on engineering principles.

The Facts About AWWA PVC Pressure Pipe

The list of questions almost always includes the following:

  • Long-term pressure capacity
  • Short-term pressure capacity
  • Cyclic surge pressures
  • Safety factors

For discussion of these topics, click here for my Tech Brief titled “An Engineering Primer on AWWA C900/C905 PVC Pipe.”