2020 Second Edition of AWWA M55 HDPE Pipe

The integrity of high density polyethylene (HDPE) piping and fusion joints are a topic of interest to the nuclear industry, regulators, ASME code, and the plastics pipe industry. The ASME Code Case N-755-1 has been approved and addresses the use of HDPE in safety related applications. Over the last few years some of the concerns identified with the parent HDPE pipe material and the fusion joints have been addressed while others are still being resolved. One such unresolved concern is the effect of the fusion process on the integrity of the joint, specifically, the introduction of flaws during the fusion process. The potential impact of flaws in the fusion joint on the service life of the HDPE piping is being evaluated. The current study calculates stress intensity factors (SIF) for circumferential flaws and uses them to evaluate the potential structural integrity of HDPE fusion joints in pipes. The recent API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 standard provides SIF (KI) solutions to various semi-elliptical and full-circumferential (360°) surface cracks/flaws on the outer surface (OD) and the inner surface (ID). The API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 standard SIF tables and finite element analysis (FEA) of selected cases were used to develop simplified SIF relations for full-circumferential surface flaws that can be used for plastic pipes with diameters ranging from 101.6 mm (4 inch) through 914.4 mm (36 inch) and dimensional ratios (DRs) from 7 through 13. Further, the SIF of embedded flaws akin to lack-of-fusion regions was evaluated. The results from this study serve as precursors to understanding and advancing experimental methods to address important issues related to the critical tolerable flaw size in the butt-fusion joint material and were utilized to select the specimen tests and hydrostatic pipe tests used to evaluate various joining processes. Further, they will help with understanding the essential variables that control the long-term component integrity and structural performance of HDPE pipe joints in ASME Class 3 nuclear piping.

Download Full-text

Determination of Updated Fatigue Properties of PE 4710 Cell Classification 445574C High Density Polyethylene

Volume 3: Design and Analysis ◽

10.1115/pvp2014-28549 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Timothy M. Adams ◽

Shawn Nickholds ◽

Douglas Munson ◽

Jeffery Andrasik

Keyword(s):

Carbon Steel ◽

Pressure Vessel ◽

High Density Polyethylene ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Fatigue Testing ◽

High Density ◽

Labor Costs ◽

Cell Classification ◽

Service Water ◽

Hdpe Pipe

For corroded piping in low temperature systems, such as service water systems in nuclear power plants, replacement of carbon steel piping with high density polyethylene (HDPE) is a cost-effective solution. Polyethylene pipe can be installed at much lower labor costs that carbon steel pipe and HDPE pipe has a much greater resistance to corrosion. The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 1 currently permits the use of non-metallic piping in buried safety Class 3 piping systems. Additionally, HDPE pipe has been successfully used in non-safety-related systems in nuclear power facilities and is commonly used in other industries such as water mains and natural gas pipelines. This report presents the results of updated fatigue testing of PE 4710 cell classification 445574C pipe compliant with the specific Code requirements. This information was developed to support and provide a strong technical basis for material properties of HDPE pipe for use in ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III New Construction and Section XI repair or replacement activities. The data may also be useful for applications of HDPE pipe in commercial electric power generation facilities and chemical, process and waste water plants via its possible use in the B31 series piping codes. The report provides fatigue data in the form of Code S-N curves for fusion butt joints in PE 4710 cell classification 445574C HDPE pipe.

Download Full-text

Slow Crack Growth Resistance of Parent and Joint Materials From PE4710 Piping for Safety-Related Nuclear Power Plant Piping

ASME 2011 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference: Volume 6, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/pvp2011-57874 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

S. Kalyanam ◽

D.-J. Shim ◽

P. Krishnaswamy ◽

Y. Hioe

Keyword(s):

Crack Growth ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Power Plants ◽

Slow Crack Growth ◽

Nuclear Industry ◽

Pipe Material ◽

Service Water ◽

Hdpe Pipe ◽

Pipe Materials ◽

Hdpe Pipes

HDPE pipes are considered by the nuclear industry as a potential replacement option to currently employed metallic piping for service-water applications. The pipes operate under high temperatures and pressures. Hence HDPE pipes are being evaluated from perspective of design, operation, and service life requirements before routine installation in nuclear power plants. Various articles of the ASME Code Case N-755 consider the different aspects related to material performance, design, fabrication, and examination of HDPE materials. Amongst them, the material resistance (part of Article 2000) to the slow crack growth (SCG) from flaws/cracks present in HDPE pipe materials is an important concern. Experimental investigations have revealed that there is a marked difference (almost three orders less) in the time to failure when the notch/flaw is in the butt-fusion joint, as opposed to when the notch/flaw is located in the parent HDPE material. As part of ongoing studies, the material resistance to SCG was investigated earlier for unimodal materials. The current study investigated the SCG in parent and butt-fusion joint materials of bimodal HDPE (PE4710) pipe materials acquired from two different manufacturers. The various stages of the specimen deformation and failure during the creep test are characterized. Detailed photographs of the specimen side-surface were used to monitor the specimen damage accumulation and SCG. The SCG was tested using a large specimen (large creep frame) as well as using a smaller size specimen (PENT frame) and the results were compared. Further, the effect of polymer orientation or microstructure in the bimodal HDPE pipe on the SCG was studied using specimens with axial and circumferential notch orientations in the parent pipe material.

Download Full-text

Combined Effect of Temperature and Soil Load on Buried HDPE Pipe

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/scientific5/amr.452-453.1169 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 452-453 ◽

pp. 1169-1173

Author(s):

Zheng Li ◽

Hong Wu Zhu ◽

Xiang Ling Kong ◽

Abdennour Seibi

Keyword(s):

Combined Effect ◽

Effect Of Temperature ◽

Hdpe Pipe ◽

Soil Load

Download Full-text

Experimental Study of Structural Response of Lined-Corrugated HDPE Pipe Subjected to Normal Fault

Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering ◽

10.1061/(asce)gt.1943-5606.0002189 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 145 (12) ◽

pp. 04019117 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Min Zhou ◽

Ian D. Moore ◽

Haitao Lan

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Structural Response ◽

Normal Fault ◽

Hdpe Pipe

Download Full-text

Machining Optimization of HDPE Pipe Using the Taguchi Method and Grey Relational Analysis

International Polymer Processing ◽

10.3139/217.3271 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 491-502 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

S. Belhadi ◽

M. Kaddeche ◽

K. Chaoui ◽

M.-A. Yallese

Keyword(s):

Taguchi Method ◽

Grey Relational Analysis ◽

Relational Analysis ◽

Hdpe Pipe ◽

Grey Relational ◽

Machining Optimization

Download Full-text

Influence of Backfill Compaction on Mechanical Characteristics of High-Density Polyethylene Double-Wall Corrugated Pipelines

Mathematical Problems in Engineering ◽

10.1155/2019/3960864 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hongyuan Fang ◽

Peiling Tan ◽

Bin Li ◽

Kangjian Yang ◽

Yunhui Zhang

Keyword(s):

Finite Element ◽

High Density Polyethylene ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Local Buckling ◽

Element Model ◽

High Density ◽

Model Matching ◽

Exterior Wall ◽

Finite Element Software ◽

Hdpe Pipe

For flexible pipelines, the influence of backfill compaction on the deformation of the pipe has always been the focus of researchers. Through the finite element software, a three-dimensional soil model matching the exterior wall corrugation of the high-density polyethylene pipe was skillfully established, and the “real” finite element model of pipe-soil interaction verified the accuracy through field test. Based on the model, the strain distribution at any position of the buried HDPE pipe can be obtained. Changing the location and extent of the loose backfill, the strain and radial displacement distributions of the interior and exterior walls of the HDPE pipe under different backfill conditions when external load applied to the foundation were analyzed, and the dangerous parts of the pipe where local buckling and fracture may occur were identified. It is pointed out that when the backfill is loose, near the interface between the backfill loose region and the well-compacted region, the maximum circumferential strain occurs frequently, the exterior wall strain is more likely to increase greatly on the region near crown or invert, the interior wall strains increase in amplitude at springline, and the location of the loose region has a greater influence on the strain of the pipe than the size of the loose area.

Download Full-text