Designing for High Pressure: Large-diameter Underground Pipe

This article describes how careful analysis is needed to ensure the success of buried composite piping for industrial applications. Underground pipe may seem mundane and unglamorous, but when those buried pipes are very large and specified in composite materials, design and fabrication is a big challenge. Although large-diameter composite pipes (48-inch/1,200-mm diameter and larger) have been specified as an alternative to thermoplastic, steel, iron and concrete pipe since the 1960s, a few spectacular failures during the 1980s have forced the industry to take a hard look at its design process. The corrosion industry has had a number of failures when compared to other composite applications. The article discusses how underground composite piping is a growing application, great for many sectors, but good design is critical for success. Fabrication techniques are typically standard helical filament winding or “continuous” winding but can include hand layup and the pipe sizes often exceed 10 ft/3m in diameter. The destinations for large pipe that will be buried below grade include power and chemical plants, oil refineries, desalinization projects and cooling-tower installations.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Print
  • Features: Figures; Photos;
  • Pagination: pp 46-48
  • Serial:
    • Composites Technology
    • Volume: 18
    • Issue Number: 3
    • Publisher: Gardner Publications Incorporated
    • ISSN: 1083-4117

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01443837
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Aug 27 2012 9:04AM