Long life behaviour of GRP pressure pipes 1

[thomas17]

I WOULD LIKE TO GATHER SOME INFORMATION / OPPINIONS OF GRP PIPES IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER MATERIALS AND WHERE I COULD FIND SOME RESEARCHES FOR THERE LONG TERM BEHAVIOUR AGAIN IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER PRESSURE PIPE MATERIALS.

 

[BigInch]

I think I saw it here, Plastic Pipe Association.

http://www.ppfahome.org/

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

 

[stanier]

GRP is a generic name for a soup of glass, sand, resins, tissue, fillers, thermoset plastics and additives.

If you want your pipes to last specify them to ISO14692 and manage the contract closely. inspect the product. Do destructive tests of samples. Make sure the contractor knows you know.

GRP has a low strain tolerance so when the stress analysis is done make sure you look at the strain figures.

Try the Dow Corning websites and download the information.

The difficulty with GRP is that the manufacturer needs to work closely with you during the design phase. That means you need a contractural arrangement such that he is recompensed for design but doesnt rip you off in the supply, installation and test costs. It is a particularly difficult contract to write. As once locked in you are at their mercy as GRP is not a standard product.

Suggest you prepare a schedule for design, manufacture, test and installation. So when anything changes you have a cost basis to work out a price. When you receive tenders with these filled out, price a few typical pipes to work out who is the best all round tenderer.

Geoffrey D Stone FIMechE C.Eng;FIEAust CP Eng

http://www.waterhammer.bigblog.com.au