
Ductile Iron Pipe
Cast iron pipe has long been the standard material for conveying water and sewage in municipal, utility and industrial piping systems.
The life expectancy of cast iron pipe is unknown but is estimated to be 100 years or more. The oldest operating cast iron main is in Versailles, France, which was installed in 1664. There are more than 500 members of the Cast Iron Pipe Century Club, a unique organization composed of cities or utilities in the United States and Canada that have cast iron pipe still in service after 100 years.
Ductile iron pipe, a product of advanced metallurgy, offers unique properties for conveying water under pressure and for other piping uses. It combines the physical strength of mild steel with the long life of gray cast iron.
Ductile iron offers the greatest possible margin of safety against service failures due to ground movement and beam stresses. Virtually unbreakable in ordinary service, it also provides increased resistance to breakage caused by rough handling in shipping and installation. The corrosion resistance of Ductile iron pipe has been proven in a wide variety of accelerated tests to be at least the equal of gray cast iron.
Ductile iron is made by adding a closely controlled amount of magnesium alloy to a molten iron of low phosphorous and low sulfur content. The magnesium alloy addition produces a remarkable change in the microstructure by causing the carbon in the iron to assume a spheroidal or nodular shape (as contrasted to the flake form of graphite in gray cast iron), and at the same time, producing a finer-grained iron matrix in the surrounding ferrite structure. As a result of this remarkable change, a far stronger, tougher, and ductile material is obtained.
In addition to the benefits of long life, corrosion resistance, high structural strength, and tight joints, ductile iron is also readily machinable, an important requirement in any pipe that must be drilled, tapped, or cut.
McWane Ductile manufactures ductile iron pipe in strict accordance with design criteria that have been developed by the American National Standards Institute and that equals or exceeds the requirements of all published standards of the American Water Works Association.
Learn more about Ductile iron pipe by viewing our helpful blogs and videos below:
Iron Strong Blog Table of Contents
Environmental & Safety
- Acknowledging Our Hidden Responders
- Considering Resiliency When Choosing Pipe Materials
- Do You Have an Iron Deficiency? Considering Health Effects in Pipe Material Selection
- Definition of Baghouse with Video [in Under 100 Words]
- How Does Ductile Iron Pipe Answer the Challenge of Sustainability and Resiliency?
- How to Protect Water Quality from Permeation Due to Contaminated Soils
- Should A Water Utility Manager Let System Infrastructure Dictate Water Treatment Methodology?
- Sustainability & Resiliency – The Impact of Recycling and Using Recycled Products
- Updates to Envision® and How Ductile Iron Excels in The New Rating System
- What Is The Recycled Content Of Ductile Iron Pipe and Why Is It Important?
- What Is VPP STAR Status and Why Does It Matter?
- Why Government Should Let Professionals Write Specifications - The Errors in Pipeline Regulation Legislation
- Why PVC is Inadequate for Fire Protection in Distribution Systems
Installation
- Eight Steps for Installing V-Bio® Polywrap (With Video)
- Another River to Cross: Milo, Maine, The Town of Three Rivers
- Can Ductile Iron Pipe Be Used For Steam Applications?
- Can I Paint Over The Exterior Seal Coat On Ductile Iron Pipe?
- The Developer Myth: Ductile Iron Pipe Is Too Expensive for Residential Applications
- Exorcising Restraint: Deleting the Demonology
- Handling Ductile Iron Pipe: From Truck to Trench
- HDPE and DI Pipe - Differences That Matter - A Comparative Narrative
- Horizontal Directional Drilling With Ductile Iron Pipe
- How Can I Connect Other Materials to Ductile Iron Pipe?
- How Do Spigot Stripes Assist in the Assembly of Ductile Iron Pipe?
- How Many Restrained Joints Do I Need When Designing a Project?
- How to Avoid a Displaced or Rolled Gasket
- How to Avoid Frozen Ductile Iron Pipelines Using Electrical Thawing
- How to Cut a Ductile Iron Pipe to Length
- How to Efficiently Locate a Leak in Your Water Pipeline
- How to Prevent Stray Current at Gas Line Crossings
- How to Properly Unload, Store and Install Ductile Iron Outlet Pipe
- How to Repair Glass-Lined Ductile Iron Pipe
- How To Round Ductile Iron Pipe By Jacking Internally
- What is TR Flex® Pipe and How is it Assembled?
- What is the Maximum Direct Tap Size for Ductile Iron Pipe?
- Why Should I Use Pipe Lubricant Supplied by the Pipe Manufacturer?
Technical
- ACE'18 Pipe Tapping Contest
- Ask The Ditch Doctor - Seeing Eye to Eye with The Inspector's Camera
- Can Using Ductile Iron Pipe In Your Water System Save You Money On Your Electric Bill?
- Cyclic Pressures - What's the Difference Between Ductile Iron & PVC and How Do I Accommodate In Pipe Design?
- Ductile Iron Vs. Steel Pipe: How To Make The Best Choice
- Got Certification? Fabricated Ductile Iron Pipe and NSF/ANSI 61
- How Do I Ensure I Have the Proper Size Casing Pipe for My Ductile Iron Carrier Pipe & What Else Might I Need to Know?
- How to Perform The Double Bump Test - A Diagnostic Procedure From McWane Ductile
- How to Properly Pressure Wash Ductile Iron Pipe with Protecto 401 and/or Cement Lining
- How To Use an OD (Outside Diameter) Tape on Ductile Iron Pipe
- Hey Ditch Doctor! Can I Install a TR Flex® Plain End in a Tyton Joint Bell?
- How Much Does Ductile Iron Pipe Weigh and Why Does It Matter to You?
- How Thick Is Zinc Coating and How Is It Applied to Ductile Iron Pipe?
- How to Design the Thickness of Ductile Iron Pipe in One Click
- How To Perform The Double Bump Test - A Diagnostic Procedure From McWane Ductile
- How To Successfully Prepare and Complete a Hydrostatic Test
- Key Considerations When Using DI Pipe for Bridge Crossings
- The McWane Ductile Universal Test Facility - Improving Products Today for Your Tomorrow!
- Safe Drinking Water - How Do We Ensure The Highest Standards?
- Three Common Questions About Ductile Iron Pipe Gaskets
- TR Flex® Versus Mechanical Joint - Why TR Flex® Fittings Are The Smart Choice
- Using The Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) In Funding Requests
- Why Use Ductile Iron Pipe? An Interview With Bill Dunnill, GM, Consolidated Utility District
- Why Is It Important to Know the OD/ID of Ductile Iron Pipe?
- What is Tuberculation and Why Did it Happen in Iron Pipe?
- Why is Depth of Cover Important When Installing Ductile Iron Pipe?
- Why Should I Use 18-foot Length Ductile Iron Pipe Instead of 20?
- Why Should I Use Ductile Iron Pipe? Four Key Considerations
Our Company
- 8 Reasons to Choose McWane Ductile For Your Ductile Pipe Needs
- How Is Ductile Iron Pipe Made?
- Iron Strong Since 1871: A Brief History of McWane Ductile
- What Are Mill Certs and Why Are They Needed?
- What Is It Like To Tour A McWane Ductile Iron Pipe Plant?
- Why Do All Three Ductile Iron Pipe Manufacturers Have Roots in Birmingham?
Products
- Can I Use Cement-Mortar-Lined Ductile Iron Pipe In A Wastewater Application?
- Can McWane Ductile Provide Bonded Coatings?
- Can Protecto 401™ Be Used in Potable Water Service Applications?
- Corrosion Protection Recommendations for Ductile Iron Pipeline
- CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: Piecing it Together with Peace River
- Ductile Iron Pipe - Fact or Fiction?
- Ductile Iron Pipe Markings: What Do They Mean?
- The 18-Inch Transmission Main Story
- How Much Does Ductile Iron Pipe Cost?
- How to Repair Protecto 401™ Lining in The Field
- How to Use McWane Ductile's Field Rounding Kit?
- Proper Gasket Storage and Care
- Specialty Gaskets: What Are They and When Do We Use Them?
- Sure Stop 350® Gaskets vs TR Flex® Pipe: Which Restraint is Best?
- V-Bio® Or Cathodic Protection – An Honest Comparison
- What Are The Advantages of Ductile Iron Pipe Over PVC Pipe?
- What Are The Benefits of DI Pipe vs. Concrete Cylinder Pipe?
- What Pipe Linings Are Best for Sewer Applications?
- What is Long Span Pipe and How Is It Installed?
- What's the Difference Between Pressure Class and Thickness Class Pipe?
- Why Does 3” and 4” Pipe Cost More Than Other Ductile Iron Pipe?
- Why Use V-Bio® Polyethylene Instead of Standard Polyethylene Tubing?
- Why Zinc on Ductile Iron Pipe and What's the Hype?
Services
- Does McWane Ductile Offer Product Training?
- How McWane Ductile Fabricates Pipe to Suit Your Plant Job
- How Much Ductile Iron Pipe Can Ship on One Truck?
- McWane Ductile Participates in Career Development with Palm Beach County Water Utilities
- Receiving Ductile Iron Pipe - What You Must Know Before You Let the Truck Go
- To DBE or Not to DBE…
- Water and Wastewater Design-Build Initiatives
- Who To Contact For Info On DI Pipe
- Why Do We Produce Iron Strong? To Help You Find Solutions!
- What Services Does McWane Ductile Offer That Can Enhance Your Bottom-Line?
- What’s The Lead Time for Ductile Iron Pipe?