Jun 29, 2010

ASTM International Committee F17 on Plastic Piping Systems has just completed the development of two new standards for polypropylene sanitary sewer pipe. These new standards are the first to address both dual wall and triple wall profile designs.

“Polypropylene has unique material characteristics, which make it ideal for sanitary sewer pipe applications,” says John Kurdziel, director, technical services and market development, Advanced Drainage Systems, and an F17 member. “It has excellent resistance to impact, the chemicals in sanitary sewer effluents and stress-cracking. In addition, the engineered profile configurations of these new pipes provide high pipe stiffness strengths and beam strength while utilizing less material than a standard solid wall product.”

The first of the two new standards, ASTM F2736, Specification for 6 to 30 in. (152 to 762 mm) Polypropylene (PP) Corrugated Single Wall Pipe and Double Wall Pipe, is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F17.26 on Olefin Based Pipe. ASTM F2764, Specification for 30 to 60 in. [750 to 1500 mm] Polypropylene (PP) Triple Wall Pipe and Fittings for Non-Pressure Sanitary Sewer Applications, is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F17.62 on Sewer.

Taken together, the new standards provide specifiers the opportunity to design entire systems with polypropylene pipe for the first time. Because the standards cover pipe from as small as 6 in. (152 mm) to as large as 60 in. (1500 mm), they effectively cover the majority of pipe sizes utilized for sanitary sewer connections and trunk lines.

According to Kurdziel, the approval of both ASTM F2736 and ASTM F2764 provides manufacturers with greater flexibility in supplying a range of products for sanitary sewer applications, resulting in lower overall costs to municipalities while still obtaining equitable products.

A new long-term, 1,000-hour hydrostatic test that ensures the long-term integrity of the joint performance has been incorporated into ASTM F2764. “This new requirement provides assurance to the user that the pipe's watertight integrity, which is critical for sanitary sewers, will be maintained over the life of the project,” says Kurdziel.