PE100 Pipe

PE100 is the third generation of pipe grade PE. It has an optimum balance of three key
properties:

Minimum Required Strength (MRS) this provides long-term strength and creep
resistance.
Stress crack resistance (sometimes referred to as slow crack growth resistance).
Rapid crack propagation resistance.

PE100 pipe is easy to install, light, flexible, corrosion-free and has a service life of up to 100
years. It can be jointed using butt fusion or electrofusion to create a leak-free pressure network
for gas or water. For the trenchless applications butt fusion is most widely used because this
results in a smooth exterior profile with no protrusions that might cause difficulties in pulling the
pipe into the ground or host pipe.

PE100 Pipe Properties

Minimum Required Strength (MRS): 10.0 MPa (1450 psi)

Hydrostatic Design Basis (HDB) Pressure: 1600 psi (11 MPa)

Allowable Compressive Strength: 7.93 MPa

Tensile Strength at Yield: 23 MPa

Elongation at Break: >600%

Modulus of Elasticity (50 years): 200 MPa

Flexural Modulus: 1000 MPa

Poissons Ratio: 0.45

Thermal Expansion Co-efficient: 1.3 x 10-4 C-1

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Friction Co-efficients:

Colebrook-White: 0.00152mm
Hazen-Williams: 150-155
Manning: 0.009 (water); 0.010 (sewage)

Temperature Resistance

The properties of PE100 pipe are determined at standard temperatures of 20C or 23C. These
properties can be significantly affected by temperature, so at higher temperature the properties,
including MRS, decrease. At higher temperatures it may be necessary to apply reduction factors
to MRS, and consequently MOP. Some Codes and Standards define the reduction factors that
must be applied; AWWA C901 and C906 for example. Otherwise there are standard reduction
factors that can be applied in design. ISO13761:1996 defines reduction factors to be applied to
MOP at higher temperatures. These are shown below.

In the USA the Plastics Pipe Institute Handbook of Polyethylene Pipe Table A.2 includes the
following reduction factors. The correlation with the ISO factors is clear.

Abrasion Resistance

This is a consideration in wastewater rising/force mains in which there are solids transported
with the water and pump operation sequences can result in solids rubbing along the pipe invert.

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PE100 has the best abrasion resistance of the commonly used pressure pipe materials. This is
illustrated in the Figure below.

The magnitude of wear depends on the angle of impingement and the type of material being
eroded. At close to 90 degree impingement angles (impact abrasion), the erosive wear rate is
highest in brittle materials and lowest in ductile materials. In ductile materials, the repeated
impinging particles plastically deform the surface to generate wear debris. With brittle materials,
the impingement causes particles of material to be fractured off as wear debris. Brittle materials
are less wear resistant than ductile materials in an impact erosion condition. At low angles of
impingement (abrasive erosion), the reverse is the case. Harder materials better resist the
gouging or ploughing action of abrasive particle flow.

There is an approximate relationship between hardness and the ultimate strength of the
material. The amount of abrasive wear decreases as the strength/hardness of the piping

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material increases. To resist abrasion, the piping system must be harder than the material being
conveyed. The wear rates of various piping materials are often similar, so long as their hardness
is greater than the slurry so selecting a pipe material considerably harder than the conveyed
material offers no wear advantage and typically costs more. Conversely when the mineral is
harder than the pipe, there is a very sudden and steep rise in the abrasive wear rate.

There are distinct types of wear experienced in a typical piping system. The straight sections
most commonly experience abrasive erosion. Size transitions and directional changes
experience both abrasive erosion and impact abrasion and should be designed with this in
mind.

Surge & Fatigue Loading

Design process for surge & fatigue loading of PE100 pipe

PE100 Pipe Types

In addition to conventional PE100 pipe there are several variants that have been developed for
specific applications.

PE100 RC

RC indicates resistance to cracking. PE100 RC is a resin that has an increased stress crack
resistance while maintaining the same MRS and rapid crack propagation resistance as
conventional PE100. It is intended for use in more severe conditions and is especially suitable
for trenchless methods. In Europe approximately 25% of PE100 usage in trenchless
applications, both new installation and rehabilitation, is PE100 RC.

Pipes may be made entirely of PE100 RC or may be co-extruded, with the main body of the
pipe of conventional PE100 and a protective layer, either external or internal, of PE100 RC. (see
also co-extruded pipes)

Bimodal PE 100 materials with high resistance to slow and rapid crack propagation are
classified as set out in PAS (Publicly Available Specification) 1075 Pipes made from

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Polyethylene for Alternative Installation Techniques: Dimensions, Technical Requirements and
Testing. In PAS 1075, which is a supplement to existing standards and guidelines, there are
three different types of RC pipe:

Type 1: Single-layer solid wall pipes made of PE 100 RC

Type 2: Pipes with dimensionally integrated protective layers of PE 100 RC
Type 3: Pipes with dimensions conforming to DIN 8074/ISO 4065 with an outer
protective casing. Inner pipe made of PE 100 RC.

Generally Types 1 & 2 are used for open trench applications where no sand bedding is used.
Type 3 is more commonly used for trenchless applications.

PE100 RT

RT indicates resistance to temperature. PE100 RT is a resin that has an increased resistance to

higher temperatures while maintaining the same mechanical properties as conventional PE100.
It is intended for use when ambient or fluid temperature are consistently above 50C. This
material is more commonly used in hot water and industrial applications and relatively seldom in
buried water or gas networks. But in certain hot regions and applications it may be necessary.

Barrier Pipe

Certain gases and liquids can permeate through PE. Therefore when PE100 pipe is laid in
contaminated ground and the fluid in the pipe must be protected from contamination, for
example when potable water is carried, then a barrier pipe is necessary. Barrier pipe is co-
extruded with a barrier layer sandwiched between layers of PE100. The barrier layer is most
commonly an aluminium foil but may also be a special polymer such as EVOH.

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Image courtesy: GPS PE Pipe Systems

PE100 barrier pipes are made by several PE manufacturers. Examples are:

Radius Systems: Puriton

Egeplast GmbH: SLA
GPS PE Pipe Systems: Protecta-Line

Coated Pipe

Coated PE100 pipe has a co-extruded harder outer layer, usually of polypropylene, to protect
the PE100 itself in installation conditions that are more severe. It is especially well suited to
trenchless techniques such as directional drilling and pipe bursting where there may be a risk of
damage to the pipe during installation. In certain coated PE100 pipes, such as ProFuse, the
outer layer is peelable to enable electrofusion couplings to be fused directly to the PE. This
peelable layer has the additional benefit of keeping the PE surface clean for electrofusion.

Coated PE100 RC pipes are generally Type 3 pipes under PAS1075.

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Image courtesy: RADIUS SYSTEMS

Coated PE100 pipes are made by several manufacturers. Examples are:

Radius Systems: ProFuse

Egeplast GmbH: SLM
Pipelife: Robust Pipe

Other Co-extruded Pipe

Co-extrusion of PE100 enables several additional pipe variants to be manufactured, often with
several layers each with a different function. These include internal coatings, internal and
external coatings, and conducting layers or strips for leak monitoring or pipe detection. Pipes
with detection layers or strips have some application in trenchless installation because methods
such as directional drilling do not permit warning marker tapes to be buried above the pipe.

Several manufacturers have particular multi-layer PE100 pipes and can provide further
information.

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MDPE PipesISO: 4427-1996(E), ISO : 4437-2007(E)
Inherent characteristics of MDPE such as corrosion & crack resistant, tough
and flexible makes Polyethylene piping systems the most preferred means for
transportation and distribution of water, petrol and natural gases world wide.

MATERIAL :

The raw material used is Medium Density Poly Ethylene (MDPE). Tijaria /
Vikas Pipes manufactures pipes in grades PE-80 & PE-100 for gas
applications in sizes 20 mm to 250 mm (Outer Diameter) in all pressure
ratings. Traditionally these pipes are identified by its color for different uses
like blue for water, orange for petrol, and yellow for gas lines.

SPECIFICATIONS :

Tijaria / Vikas Pipes manufactures MDPE pipes which confirms to national and International standards as
ISO-4437, ISO-4427, IS-14885, BS-7281, DIN-8074/75. Tijaria / Vikas pipes can also be tailor made to
meet the specific requirement of individual gas authorities or customers.

SALIENT FEATURES :

Flexible : Easy to Handle

Corrosion Resistant : Tough and highly reliable in aggressive soils.

Fusion Joints : High Integrity and reliability

Light Weight : lighter in weight as compared to metal pipes.

Crack Resistant : Excellent resistant to subsidence, traffic vibrations point leading and
marshy ground.

Homogenous : leakage free joints.

Installation : low Installation cost.

DIMENSIONS :

Last Update: Jan, 2011

NOMINAL OUTER DIA. MINIMUM WALL THICKNESS (ALL SIZES IN MM)

(MM) SDR 17.6 SDR 13.6 SDR 11.0 SDR 9.0

16 2.3 2.3 3.0 3.0

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20 2.3 2.3 3.0 3.0

25 2.3 2.3 3.0 3.0

32 2.3 2.3 3.0 3.6

40 2.3 3.0 3.7 4.5

50 2.9 3.7 4.6 5.6

63 3.6 4.7 5.8 7.1

75 4.3 5.5 6.8 8.4

90 5.2 6.6 8.2 10.1

110 6.3 8.1 10.0 12.3

125 7.1 9.2 11.4 14.0

140 8.0 10.3 12.7 15.7

160 9.1 11.8 14.6 17.9

180 10.3 13.3 16.4 20.1

200 11.4 14.7 18.2 22.4

225 12.8 16.6 20.5 25.1

250 14.2 18.4 22.7 25.1

Physical & Mechanical Properties of MDPE Pipes :

Last Update: Jan, 2011

CHARACTRISTICS UNITS REQUIREMENTS TEST PARAMETERS TEST METHODS

Conventional kg/M3 > 930 (base 23 C ISO-1183, ISO-1872/1

Density polymer)

Melt Flow Rate G/10 940 - 958 190 C / 5kg ISO-4440/1, IS-2530:
min. 1963

Thermal Stability Min. > 20 200 C ISO / TR-10837

Hydrostatic Strength h Falure time>=100h PE-80-9.0 MPa - ISO -1167

Falure time>=165h 20C

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 Falure time>=1000h PE-80-4.6 MPa -
80C
PE-80-4.0 MPa - 80C

Elongation at Break % >=350 ISO-6259/3

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