Whenever the word "rating" is used regarding Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe), a 100-psi surge allowance and a safety factor of 2.0 are consistently included for all wall classes. This leads to conservative yet versatile designs for the long-term performance of utility pipelines of all kinds in various or changing conditions. Hence the basic universal rating for DI pipe is 350-psi which equates to a minimum of 900-psi of hydrostatic pressure containment within the pipeline.
The Town of Andover, located in the northeastern corridor of Massachusetts, provides water service to over 10,000 customers in a network of approximately 257 miles of water mains, the oldest dating back to 1886. This #IronStrong blog tells how the Andover Water Division solved a significant water loss issue due to a breach in one of their important mains feeding a commercial/industrial area.
It’s National Engineers Week (EWeek). Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, EWeek is dedicated to promoting careers in engineering and technology and to developing a diverse, well-educated future engineering workforce. This #IronStrong Blog post highlights the importance of engineers and their impact on the waterworks industry.
Have you ever considered how high temperatures impact your choice of piping material for a water system? It might not be something that comes to mind immediately, but it’s an important factor. Water treatment specialists pay close attention to water temperatures because they influence how the water reacts to treatment chemicals. Additionally, water and ground temperatures can significantly affect the performance of certain piping materials, particularly polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
The landscapes and environments in which we live are constantly changing, and ensuring that resilient infrastructure is in place to support local communities is a priority for all cities. In regions where natural disasters occur and pose significant threats, such as wildfires and earthquakes, and as seen most recently in areas such as Lahaina, Hawaii, and the Palisades in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles County, California, Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe) has proven to be a durable and reliable choice for water infrastructure. This article will discuss why selecting the proper material for underground infrastructure is crucial in combating natural disasters and enabling communities to respond more effectively with a reliable source of potable water and vital fire protection.
In regions prone to seismic activity, the resilience of critical infrastructure plays a pivotal role in public safety. Among essential systems, water distribution networks are particularly vulnerable during catastrophic earthquakes, where ground movement and soil liquefaction can cause widespread pipe failure. Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe), however, has emerged as a highly reliable material due to its superior properties, joint flexibility, and proven performance in past seismic events. This #IronStrong Blog examines how the unique design and strength characteristics of DI pipes contribute to their remarkable ability to withstand the intense stresses of major earthquakes, ensuring continuity of service when it is needed most.
Ergonomics is an applied science concerned with designing and arranging objects people use so that people and things interact most efficiently and safely. Reducing the risk of injury through proactive programs is one of the many ways we strive to enhance the ergonomics of our product production. At McWane Ductile and McWane corporate-wide, health and safety are the top priorities, hence the Ergo Cup.
When I first started my engineering career, I was placed in charge of coordinating the relocation of water transmission and distribution pipelines to accommodate the construction of an interstate highway through a city of approximately 180,000 residents. Many times, these projects required pre-poured thrust block restraints due to the amended connections between new and old waterlines in a short timeframe so as not to leave customers inordinately out of water for long periods of time.
There is a national effort to deny engineers, utilities, municipalities, public entities, and other waterworks professionals the ability to design water, wastewater, and stormwater projects in the manner that best serves the needs of their community. This effort focuses on water system piping but could be expanded to other infrastructure materials, as well. This blog contains a Q&A session conducted with a civil engineer, John Simpson, and a former utility manager, Roy Mundy, regarding Open Procurement.
How do you go to market? This isn’t a question we get often, but it comes up from time to time. Sometimes we're asked by a vendor we work with who is trying to understand McWane Ductile better. Sometimes a candidate asks the question during an interview or a new sales representative asks while we’re onboarding. Other times we have a hard-working team member at one of our manufacturing facilities trying to understand further what and where the product they make goes and how it gets there. In this blog, we will look at the different bidding processes we encounter on a day-to-day basis that allow us to take Ductile iron pipe to market.
In a continuous effort to make your job easier, we have developed an online submittal builder to quickly and neatly package your personalized presentation.
BUILD MY SUBMITTAL
Looking for answers to your DI pipe questions? Find decades of Ductile iron expertise with installation guides, videos, tip sheets, training resources, and more in our Learning Center.
GIVE ME ANSWERS
Stop struggling with those hard-to-figure field calculations and put ease and efficiency right at your fingertips with our Pocket Engineer for mobile and desktop devices.
CALCULATE NOW
McWane Ductile is proud to be a part of the McWane companies.
