CEN Publishes First EN Standard for PVC-O Pressure Pipes
Aug 14, 2019
The first European EN standard for oriented unplasticised poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-O) pipes came out in April 2019, after an extensive four-year development process, initiated by TEPPFA. EN 17176 PVC-O piping systems for water supply and for buried and above-ground drainage, sewerage and irrigation under pressure, adopted in the 28 EU member states and other 6 member countries, creates a new Europe-wide voluntary standard for those manufacturing PVC-O pipes, where previously there had been a variety of non-aligned national standards.
This new standard allows specification for PVC-O piping systems intended for water supply use, pressurised (up to 25 bar) drainage, sewerage, treated waste water and irrigation systems, either underground or above-ground where protected from direct sunlight.
It applies to drinking water piping systems under pressure, up to and including 45°C, as well as to pressurised waste water and irrigation.
The key sections of the new five-part standard include the requirements for the raw material, PVC-O pipes and fittings and their testing to fit for the designed purpose of the system:
Part 1: General ( material characteristics, definitions and classifications);
Part 2: Pipes, d (characteristics of solid wall pipes, product range, testing…);
Part 3: Fittings, (characteristics of PVC-O fittings);
Part 5: Fitness for purpose of the system, including its components;
Part 7: (still under preparation) Assessment of conformity.
The new standard is obtainable from the 34 National Standardization Bodies at the European Committee for Standardization (CEN):
CEN/TC 155 standards - sales points in Europe
What’s behind PVC-O?
PVC-O is a remarkably strong material developed by molecularly orienting the pipe during the production process. This makes it much stronger – yet lighter – than standard PVC-U, and the molecular orientation also endows it with better impact resistance and increased tensile strength.
As a concept, molecularly oriented PVC pipes have been used in many countries for some time, as they were originally developed in the 1970s. However, it was difficult to produce them efficiently and in sufficiently high volumes. A PVC-U preform is extruded with a reduced diameter and with a larger thickness followed by an expansion process under controlled conditions.
This technique increases its diameter and re-orientates the molecules to become biaxially oriented PVC-O. However, recent process innovations by manufacturers have changed things. PVC-O pipes are now available up to DN1200 mm, as this new standard recognizes for the first time. This opens new markets for PVC-O products and enlarges the range of plastics products in our industry. The low material consumption and reduced energy consumption , contributes to the excellent sustainability credentials of PVC-O. Besides that, PVC-O is 100% recyclable.
Other benefits of PVC-O include:
- increased flexibility ;
- increased resistance to cyclic fatigue;
- triple impact strength compared to conventional PVC-U;
- reduced notch sensitivity with a high resistance to cracking and splitting;
- higher hydraulic capacity (increased internal diameter), , lower flow velocities and reduced pumping costs.
Monica de la Cruz is Chair of CEN/TC 155 the European Standardization Committee for Plastic piping systems and ducting systems where this new standard was developed.
She commented: “TEPPFA has been instrumental in helping to bring this new standard into being and it will provide reassurance to specifiers that PVC-O pipes and fittings defined within the standard are of a good quality and fit for their designed purpose. Oriented PVC is a remarkably strong material and ideal for a wide variety of applications under pressure to contribute to improve Europe’s water supply and waste water infrastructures.”
TEPPFA is a partner organization of CEN/TC 155 and has been involved in the development of many of the 221 CEN/TC 155 standards currently in use, as well as over 40 projects that are presently being worked on.
About TEPPFA
TEPPFA is The European Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association founded in 1991 with headquarters in Brussels. TEPPFA’s 12 multinational company members and 15 national associations across Europe represent 350 companies that manufacture plastic pipes and fittings.
TEPPFA’s members have an annual production volume of 3 million tonnes directly employing 40,000 people with € 12 billion combined annual sales. TEPPFA positions itself as polymer neutral.
More News and Articles
Mar 27, 2024
News
USU Study Looks at Water Main Break Rates in the U.S. and Canada
Report Highlights Correlation Between Material and Diameter
Mar 26, 2024
News
Update BE-21: New Material in Course and Modules on Trenchless Pipe Installation
Online training on the topic of pipeline installation in civil engineering: Trenchless technology for underground drainage construction can be a resource-efficient, environmentally friendly, time-saving, and cost-effective alternative to open cut methods. The UNITRACC e-learning course "Utility Tunnelling" has been enhanced …
Mar 25, 2024
Article
Bacteria as a new weapon in wastewater treatment
In early November, San Diego based startup Aquacycl officially opened its first European office and test center at the Water Campus in Leeuwarden. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) and the Investment and Development Agency for the Northern Netherlands (NOM) …
Mar 22, 2024
News
A superior HDD offering
Building on its relationships with leading horizontal directional drilling companies, TRACTO Australia has delivered three new rigs to operator Superior HDD.
Mar 20, 2024
News
New portable water filtration technology could improve access to clean drinking water worldwide
The University of Texas at Austin has developed an injectable water filtration system with the aim to aid the over two billion people worldwide who are without clean drinking water.
Mar 18, 2024
News
Global Student Innovation Challenge Calls on Next-Generation Leaders to Tackle Water Security
High School and University Students Worldwide Invited to Expand Water Access and Community Resilience
Mar 15, 2024
News
New water treatment wins Prestigious Award
Introducing a advancement in water treatment, developed by Cardiff University researchers in collaboration with Origin Aqua, the FreeOxTM technology has garnered acclaim by winning a prestigious challenge award at the World Water Tech Innovation Summit. This single-step process not only …
Mar 13, 2024
News
Satellite-based river monitoring technique could provide early warning of flooding
A satellite-based method for monitoring the flow of rivers from orbit could provide a valuable early warning system for flood risk, University of Glasgow researchers have claimed.
Mar 11, 2024
News
Revitalising infrastructure with HDD
Through the use of horizontal directional drilling, TasWater is delivering a new sewer pipeline to improve sewer and stormwater transfer capacity in Launceston, Tasmania.
Mar 06, 2024
News
Picking up the pace on climate action: Building momentum from COP28
At the halfway point of the Paris Agreement, the legally binding international treaty on climate action, average global temperatures are already hitting 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels and future projections are stark. At COP28 in December, we could not escape the reality …
Mar 01, 2024
News
Luminescent sensor detects ‘forever chemical’ pollution in water
Researchers in the UK and Germany have developed a new approach for detecting pollution from ‘forever chemicals’ in water through luminescence.
Feb 28, 2024
Article
BETT installation demonstrating GHG emissions reduction of wastewater treatment
This study presents BioElectrochemical Treatment Technology (BETT) as a new wastewater management solution toward the Net-Zero future. The results reported herein were collected from a BETT pilot system installed at a large brewery in Los Angeles, CA, United States processing …
Contact
TEPPFA
Ludo Debever
General Manager
Avenue de Cortenbergh 71
BE-1000 Brussels
Belgium
Phone:
+32-488 920 145