In this third installment about Sustainability and Resiliency for our Iron Strong Blog, we are focusing on the resiliency of pipe and pipelines as a result of natural disasters such as storms, floods, and wildfires. While earthquakes and seismic events also need to be considered, much has been written on those aspects and we will discuss them in our next installment. Resiliency means many different things to many different people, and its definition is often a matter of perspective and need. Put simply, resiliency is the ability to survive, resist, or recover from damage due to some external hazard.
Over the years, I have spoken with numerous engineers, utilities, and municipalities, and there seems to be a disconnect when it comes to the overall understanding of when and where cement-mortar-lined pipe can be used in wastewater applications. Due to these grey areas, engineers and owners often specify specialty linings for an entire project when the line could have been specified as either cement-mortar lined ductile iron pipe only or a mixture of specialty lined and cement-lined pipe.
A common question that many sales reps in the Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe) industry have heard over the years is, "Are you sure you’ve quoted the 3” and 4” pipe correctly?” Once that price is confirmed, the follow-up question from the customer is usually “Why in the world does it cost so much?” Well, there are many reasons for the higher cost, and in this Iron Strong Blog, we will offer some insight into that question.
Question – What is the difference between Ductile Iron and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)? Answer – Many things, but some groups may attempt to “muddy the waters” with inaccurate information regarding the two materials.
With the information that follows, we will take a closer look at what really separates Ductile Iron from PVC and why it matters.
Got Certification? Does your fabricated Ductile iron pipe meet the current ANSI/AWWA C115 / A21.15-11 Standard for fabricated pipe?
Products intended for contact with potable water shall be certified to the requirements of NSF/ANSI 61. The certification shall be accomplished by a certification organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) AWWA Standard, ANSI/AWWA C115/A21.15-11 Section 4.1.2. This standard includes water service pipe, water distribution lines, water treatment plants (WTP), and commercial and industrial services lines.
In this second installment of our Iron Strong Blog on Sustainability and Resiliency, we will focus on recycling and the recyclability of various pipe materials. As you may know, Ductile iron pipe is made from recycled iron and steel scrap, making it not only a recycled product but a recyclable product.
Okay, since that fact has been stated, why read further? Well, besides being the only primary full-size-range piping product made from recycled material, you should know why this is important to you, me, and everyone else. We will look at the impact of recycling on cities and towns as well as countries and the planet.
Sustainability and Resiliency are today's buzzwords, especially concerning water and wastewater systems, but what does this really mean to you, the designer, manager and/or operator? Utility people today are bombarded with the answer to this question, and we believe that there is no one answer because every system is unique and experiences different priorities and different challenges.
Providing safe, clean water to customers of a water utility is unquestionably JOB ONE. Meeting this goal has always been a formidable challenge in many ways. Source water quality can change dramatically due to weather factors and other phenomena. Additionally, increasing drinking water standards throughout the years evidencing higher detection technology and more sophisticated medical research regarding the health effects of contaminants has required water systems in some cases to change treatment methodologies dramatically.
Should the pipeline material placed in a drinking water system in any way limit decisions of today or in the future regarding the water treatment methodology chosen to best provide safe, clean water to customers? I THINK NOT!
As the name suggests, Long-Span pipe can extend over distances with fewer supports than conventional Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe). In standard 18-foot lengths of DI pipe, a minimum of one support is required within 2-feet of the Bell for each length of pipe. When using Long-Span pipe, distances of 27-foot up to 45-foot and longer can be achieved with support only at the Bell ends.
One question we often receive in the field is, "Can you use Ductile iron pipe (DI pipe) when running hot water or steam through pipe?" The answer to that question is YES, but there are several factors you must consider. For this Iron Strong Blog, we are going to look at these factors to help determine what products are needed for each application.
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