100-yr design life cited for Corrugated HDPE Pipe. (In Brief).

The Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) in Washington, D.C., has published a technical report supporting the expectation of more than a 100-year life cycle for properly installed corrugated HDPE pipe. The report, Design Service Life of Corrugated HDPE Pipe, is intended to end speculation on the lifetime that can be expected from such pipe. The PPI document determines the longevity of drainage pipes by measuring the mechanical strength of pipe materials, the stress to the pipe, loading time, and temperature. The PPI report suggests that the current industry standards for the AASHTO M 294 specification should slightly increase the minimum resin density from 0.945 g/cc to 0.948 g/cc. This information was found through determining the relaxation curves in seven different diameters of pipe from four manufacturers. The curves were then extrapolated to 100 years.

"Prior to this report, many of the previous studies included resins from the 1980s that are not used by the industry today," states PPI Marketing Manager Michael Ball. "This report demonstrates that the latest studies on the effects of pipe materials and their long-term properties produce different results than in the 1980s."

Design Service Life of Corrugated HDPE Pipe (TR-43) is available for download at www.plasticpipe.org by clicking on the Publications link. Copies also can be obtained by calling [phone], ext. 11. More information on this topic is available on a PPI CD in the Corrugated Polyethylene Pipe Design Manual and Installation Guide.