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  • What is Autogenous Healing of Ductile Iron Pipe? Are Small Cracks and Cobwebbing Acceptable?

    What is Autogenous Healing of Ductile Iron Pipe? Are Small Cracks and Cobwebbing Acceptable?

    By Gary Gula   02/05/2021  In Products Technical

    Seeing cobwebbing or small cracks in the cement lining of Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe) may raise concern for some and over the years, I’ve had some folks ask me, “Is this acceptable?” And my response is, “Yes, it is, at least to some degree.” Within this Iron Strong Blog, we will discuss Autogenous Healing (au-tog-e-nous), which is defined as the natural process of crack repair that takes place when cement linings come in contact with water.

  • Can Ductile Iron Pipe Be Ordered in Shorter Bell and Spigot Lengths?

    Can Ductile Iron Pipe Be Ordered in Shorter Bell and Spigot Lengths?

    By Carolyn Lopez   01/29/2021  In Installation Products Technical

    Have you ever wondered or asked if it is possible to order shorter lengths of bell and spigot Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe) for your waterworks project or sections within it? The answer is YES; we can help you with those shorter lengths of DI pipe for your project.

  • How Does Proper Bedding Allow a Pipe to “Sleep Well?"

    How Does Proper Bedding Allow a Pipe to “Sleep Well?"

    By Ken Rickvalsky, ENV SP, NACE CT   01/22/2021  In Installation Technical

    Did you know the mattress industry is one of the oldest continuous industries in the world? The first mattresses were believed to have been manufactured in 37 BC in Persia. Today, more than 35 million mattresses are shipped world-wide to replace those that have been in service for an average of seven years. So, what does this have to do with Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe), you ask? This article will discuss how setting improper bedding in a pipe trench can cause sleepless nights for the water company and its crews due to pipe failures, seemingly always at night — as it is my experience that most large main breaks typically occur after dark!

  • Does McWane Ductile Manufacture TR Flex® Pipe Differently than U.S. Pipe?

    Does McWane Ductile Manufacture TR Flex® Pipe Differently than U.S. Pipe?

      01/08/2021  In Products

    Over the last several months, I have encountered a few municipalities that have asked the question, does McWane Ductile manufacture TR Flex Restrained Joint Pipe differently than U.S. Pipe?

  • V-Bio® Vs. Regular Black Polyethylene Encasement – What’s The Difference?

    V-Bio® Vs. Regular Black Polyethylene Encasement – What’s The Difference?

    By Bob Hartzel   12/30/2020  In Installation Technical

    Polyethylene Encasement (Polywrap) was first used in 1958 and has successfully protected millions of feet of both cast and Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe). It has been the most popular method of corrosion control for DI pipe throughout the years. Today, it is the most widely used method of protecting DI pipe in corrosive environments.

  • Can McWane Ductile Provide Lay Schedules and Line Drawings?

    Can McWane Ductile Provide Lay Schedules and Line Drawings?

    By Cory Humphreys Jeff Henderson   12/22/2020  In Our Company Services Technical

    Whether you are assembling a toy, playing a game, or installing a waterline…where do you go when you're unsure what to do next? 

    Read the instructions!

  • What Is No Bell Pipe and What Is It Used For?

    What Is No Bell Pipe and What Is It Used For?

    By Gary Kurtz   12/10/2020  In Installation Products Technical

    Why do you make Ductile iron pipe with no bell? Who would use such pipe? What is it used for? All good questions from most people in our industry, unless you are a pipe fabricator.

  • What Are Some Common Misconceptions Associated with Ductile Iron Pipe?

    What Are Some Common Misconceptions Associated with Ductile Iron Pipe?

      12/04/2020  In Products Technical

    In 1492, Christopher Columbus was shocked when his ship made landfall in a land Europeans had never explored. Along the way, he proved that Earth isn’t flat after all. Right?

    Wrong: Despite a persistent legend, neither Columbus nor his Spanish patrons thought Earth was a finite plane instead of a round planet. That was thanks to scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians who, as early as around 600 B.C., made observations that Earth was round. Using calculations based on the sun's rise and fall, shadows, and other physical properties of the planet, Greek scholars like Pythagoras and Aristotle determined that the planet is actually a sphere.1

    So, what’s the point of today’s history lesson? It often reminds me that there are numerous myths associated with Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe), and in this Iron Strong Blog, we’ll list some of those ideas, provide factual data, and discuss why they are simply misconceptions.

  • CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: Teamwork Makes the Water Work for BWRPWA

    CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: Teamwork Makes the Water Work for BWRPWA

    By Dustin Henderson   11/25/2020  In Our Company Services

    Although McWane Ductile loves highlighting major waterworks projects, sometimes it is seeing water professionals work together to solve a utility's problem that deserves recognition. Our valued partners at Northwest Arkansas Winwater called us on Monday, April 27, 2020, with a customer in need — Benton Washington Regional Public Water Authority (BWRPWA).

  • Why Should I Use Pipe Lubricant Supplied by the Pipe Manufacturer?

    Why Should I Use Pipe Lubricant Supplied by the Pipe Manufacturer?

    By Todd Soady   11/20/2020  In Installation Products

    First, let us establish that all Ductile iron pipe, whether using push-on joints such as Tyton Joint® and TR Flex® Restrained Joints or Mechanical Joint pipe requires the gasket to be properly lubricated prior to joint assembly. Secondly, there is no such thing as too much lube when appropriately applied, especially when using McWane Sure Stop Restraining Gaskets. In this Iron Strong Blog, we will focus on why it is recommended to use the lubricant supplied by the pipe manufacturer.

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Latest Posts

  • How is Ductile Iron Resilient to Disruptive Events? Part II – DI Pipe & Wildfires
    How is Ductile Iron Resilient to Disruptive Events? Part II – DI Pipe & Wildfires By Jacob Lovin, ENV SP 04/22/2025  In Products Resiliency Technical
  • Crossing the Saugus River with Ductile Iron Pipe -  When, Why, Who, and How
    Crossing the Saugus River with Ductile Iron Pipe - When, Why, Who, and How By Jeff Houser 04/15/2025  In Installation Products Technical
  • Why Would High Temperatures Affect Piping Material Selection?
    Why Would High Temperatures Affect Piping Material Selection? By Scott Rhorick 03/25/2025  In Products Technical
  • Young Water Professionals - A Guide to Success
    Young Water Professionals - A Guide to Success By Jaycie Bellamy 02/14/2025  In Career Resources
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  • Products
  • Ductile Iron Pipe
    • Tyton® Joint Pipe
    • TR Flex® Restrained Joint Pipe
    • Mechanical Joint Pipe
    • Mechanical Joint Lock Joint Pipe
    • Fabricated Flange and Wall Pipe
    • Ball and Socket Joint Pipe
    • Long-Span Pipe
    • Permaloy™ Pipe
    • Seismic Flex Coupling™
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    • Mechanical Joint Gaskets
    • Flange Gaskets
    • Sure Stop 350® Gasket
    • Specialty Gaskets Service & Usage
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    • Fabricated Flange and Wall Pipe
    • Grooved Pipe
    • Welded Outlet Pipe
    • Thread-o-Lets
    • Weld-On Boss
  • Fittings and Accessories
    • Bronze Wedge
    • Cable Bond
    • Pipe Joint Lubricant
    • Mechanical Joint Accessories
    • Seismic Flex Coupling™
    • TR Flex® Accessories
    • TR Flex® Fittings
    • V-Bio® Encasement
  • Linings
    • Cement-Mortar Lining
    • Glass Lining
    • Protecto 401™ Lining
    • Ceramapure™ PL90 Lining
  • Coatings
    • Asphaltic Coating
    • Zinc-Coating
    • Ceramawrap Coating
    • V-Bio® Enhanced Polyethylene Encasement
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