Understanding our Competition

- Part A Plastic Pipe

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Agenda

• Rigid vs. Flexible Recap

• ASTM’s for Flexible Plastics
• Flexible Plastics Overview
• Specific Flexible Plastic Products
• HDPE
• Poly Pro
• Steel Ribbed HDPE
• PVC
• Plans, Specifications & the Contract
• Consulting Engineer Visits
• Real World Scenarios/Examples

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Rigid vs. Flexible Recap

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Rigid vs. Flexible Recap

• Structural System
 RCP Pipe Wall = Majority of Strength
• 60% - 90% of System Strength
 Foundation & Bedding
• 40% - 10% of System Strength

Cover

Pipe ID
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Rigid vs. Flexible Recap

• Structural System
 Flexible Pipe Wall
• 5% - 10% of System Strength
 Foundation & Bedding Carries Majority of Load
• 90% - 95% of System Strength

Cover

Pipe ID
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ASTM’s for Flexible Plastics

• ASTM F949 – PVC (A-2000)

• ASTM F2306 – HDPE (N-12)
• ASTM F2435 – Steel Ribbed HDPE (Kanaflex)
• ASTM F2562 – Steel Ribbed Plastic (DuroMaxx)
• ASTM F2648 – Recycled HDPE (Mega Green)
• (HP Storm or SaniTite HP)
• ASTM F2736 – Poly Signal & Dual Wall 6-30 inch
• ASTM F2764 – Poly Triple Wall 30-60 inch
• ASTM F2881 – Poly Dual Wall 12-60 inch
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Flexible Plastics Overview

• ASTM D2321 – Installation All Products Reference

• ADS Design Manual Installation Chapter 5 (6/2014)
• Installation Considerations (ACPA) my Favorite
• Classes for Embedment & Backfill
• Flotation Considerations (ACPA)
• Post Installation Inspection Requirements if any
• It BURNS!!!
• Exposure to Ultraviolet Light Can Weaken
• KNOW Your State DOT Requirements

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Flexible Plastics Overview

Pipe Strengths
• Rigid = 90% Pipe Strength
• Rigid = 10% Soil Strength
• Flexible = 5% Pipe Strength
• Flexible = 95% Soil Strength
• Backfill is extremely critical for flexible
• RCP is a Structure when it leaves the plant
• Flexible Structure is built during installation

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Flexible Plastics Overview

Existing Soil Parameters

• Is plastic being backfilled with native material?
• If so what minimum standards does the native
material meet?
• Is native soil being tested to see what standards
are met?
• Depending on standards native material meets, fill
height varies widely
• If a consistent fill height is needed a structural
KNOWN backfill is required

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Flexible Plastics Overview

Structural Backfill
• Since the majority of the strength/structure of
plastic comes from the backfill, it is extremely
important that backfill is of structural nature
• ASTM & Manufacturer suggest structural backfill to
6 inch to 12 inches above the crown of the pipe

• Know what your

state/municipality requires

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Flexible Plastics Overview

Flotation
• Plastic Pipe Floats
• In wet areas or where the existing water table is
high, plastic pipes will float
• Know what your state/municipality requires for
flotation precautions
• Manufacture recommends anchors to prevent
flotation if needed

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Flexible Plastics Overview

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Flexible Plastics Overview

Flammable
• Plastic Pipe Burns
• Plastic Pipe melts at 340 degrees F
• Plastic Pipe Ignites at 772 degrees F
• A Candle Flame Burns at 1,800 degrees F
• Concrete should be required at all exposed
applications
• Recent ACPA video comparing burning HDPE and
Polypropylene

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Flexible Plastics Overview

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Flexible Plastics Overview

Deflection Testing
• Deflection Testing is a must for plastic pipe
• Since the structure is so depended on installation,
Engineers should require deflection testing for all
plastic pipe installations
• 5% is the recommended allowable maximum
deflection
• Know what your
state/municipality requires

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Flexible Plastics Overview

Deflection Testing
• ACPA Reference
Documents

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Flexible Plastics Overview

Summary
• Many designers who do privately funded civil/site
work hang their hat on State DOT Standard
Drawings and Specifications
• It is your job to know the State DOT
requirements better than the Designers
• Create a cheat sheet for plastic products on what
your State DOT requires
• If the municipality the project is in does not have
standards or specs, the designer will typically
provide

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Specific Flexible Plastic Products

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Recycled HDPE –Mega Green

• ASTM F2648
• 40% Recycled Content
• Green Wrapper on Gaskets
• Dual Wall-Smooth Inside
• Soil-Tight N-12 ST
• Water Tight N-12 WT
• Land Drainage Applications
• Intended for Agricultural

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HDPE – N-12
• ASTM F2306
• Dual Wall-Smooth Inside
• Soil-Tight N-12 ST IB
• Water Tight N-12 WT
• Plain End N-12

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Polypropylene
• HP Storm & SaniTite HP
• Three ASTM’s
• ASTM F2736 – Single & Dual Wall 6-30 inch
• ASTM F2764 – Triple Wall 30-60 inch
• ASTM F2881 – Dual Wall 12-60 inch
• What is being used? Check ASTM Number on
Pipe to be sure
• Varying Stiffness between pipe types
• Different Fill Heights between pipe types
• Very new (2010) NO PROVEN TRACK RECORD

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Polypropylene

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Steel Ribbed (SR)HDPE –

DuroMaxx
• ASTM F2562 Steel Ribbed Plastic
• Not as common as HDPE or Polypropylene
• HDPE type products with steel reinforcing added
• Typically used in larger diameter areas or if
higher fill areas
• DuroMaxx claims heights up to 50 ft of fill
depending on the pipe diameter

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DuroMaxx

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Steel Reinforced Corrugated

HDPE – Kanaflex
• ASTM F2435 Steel Corrugations
• HDPE type products with steel reinforcing added
• Kanaflex claims heights up to 69 ft of fill
depending on the pipe diameter
• Kanaflex is very brittle and has not been see very
much at all in the Southeast YET

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Steel Reinforced HDPE –

Kanaflex

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Steel Ribbed HDPE – Cont.

• Installation for both DuroMaxx and Kanaflex

follow ASTM D2321 just like HDPE &
Polypropylene, backfill requirements are not
reduced from the added strength of the steel
reinforcing
• Linear feet pipe costs are much more than HDPE
& Polypropylene
• With proper backfill per ASTM D2321, RCP
should be very competitive with these steel
ribbed HDPE products
• Kanaflex has claimed to be a strong as Class V
RCP and installed just the same
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PVC – A-2000

• ASTM F949 PVC

• Brittle
• A-2000 claims heights up to 50ft of fill for pipe
diameters from 12-36 inch
• Comes in lengths of 12.5’, 14’ & 22’
• Constant Stiffness of 46 psi

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PVC – A 2000

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Plans, Specifications & the Contract

• Do you typically quote on Plans alone?
• Do you typically quote on Plans & Specifications?
• Or do you typically quote on Plans, Specs &
Contract?
• Need to look at all three to know what you are
bidding against
• If flexible is allowed, what is the installation spec?
• Was Geotech Study done for plastic?
• If no Geotech what are designers assumptions?

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Consulting Engineers Visits

• Create a HIT LIST of Design Consultants
• Start with the ones closest to you that specify the
most competitive products
• Make time either biweekly or monthly to block out
time to visit design consultants
• If you have a TRE use them!
• If you do not have a TRE use your ACPA
representative
• It starts with Designers and there are as many of
them as there are Contractors
• Always take engineering pads, smaller ones are
preferred & Donuts or Biscuits

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Success Stories
• Any examples of what has worked or what has not
worked in your particular market?

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Real World Examples

• Please provide a few recent examples that you
have come across while bidding work in your
particular market

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Bucket of Confusion with Different Flexible

Plastic Products

• What Bucket is your competition in?

• The ONLY other BUCKET – The
Flexible bucket!!!!!
• If it’s not RCP its FLEXIBLE!!!
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Questions

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