1. Strength and rigidity.
2. Imported bedding not required.
3. Corrosion resistant to most soils and waters .
4. Flexible joints toleratesome deflection.
5. Ease of jointing.

1. Suspectibilty to impact and accidental damage.
2. Vulnerable to chemical attackby certainsoils and waters.
3. Low beam strength(<200mm diameter)
4. Variation in external diameter
5. Joints need to be anchored
6. Mains location and leakage detection not establised.

1. Light trafficroads(all sizes)
2. Heavy traffic roads(>200mm)
3. Gravity mains
4. Pumping mains Ground subject to minor movement
5. Contaminated land(organics)

Aggressive waters/soils

Locations subject to high levels of 3rd party interference

Ground subject to subsidence/significant movement.

Polyethylene(High Performance)

1. Corrosion resistant
2. Light weight
3. Flexible
4. Can be welded to form leak free,end load resistant systems
5. toughness
6. Absorbs impact loads, vibration and ground movement
7. Suitable for narrow trenching ad trenchless installation
8. Suitable for rehabilitation.

1. Susceptible to permeation/degradation by certain organic contaminants
2. Fusion jointing requires special equipment and training
3. Selected/imported bedding required
4. Reliant on stable support from soil to resist deformation
5. requires care in handling
6. Blue HPPE susceptible to UV degradation
7. Risk of floatation
8. Mains location and leakage not established.

1. Gravity mains
2. Light traffic roads
3. Ground subject to movement and subsidence

1. Pumped mains/surge conditions
2. Major carriage ways
3. Contaminated ground
4. Above ground(blue)

1. Strength and toughness.

2. Resistance to pressure fatigue.

3. Ease of jointing.

5. Flexible joints tolerate some deflection.

6. End-load resitance joints available.

7. Impermeable to organic (gas+oil) contaminants.

8. Well established methods of repair.

9. Easy location and leak detection.

10. imported bedding not required.

Requires protectin against internal and external corrossion.

Ground contaminants may cause failureof PE sleeving

Potential rise in pH when conveying soft waters

Corrosion protection systems at risk in certain soils

Corrosion protection systems suspectible to impact and accidental damage

Suspectible to attack by stray currents

1. Gravity Mains

2. Puming mains

3. Heavy traffic roads

4. Light traffic roads

5. Ground subject to movement and subsidence

6. Contaminated land(organics)

1. Aggressive soils/waters

2. Where there is arisk of stray (interference) currents

3. Locations subject to high levels of 3rd party interference (PE sleeved pipes only)

1. Corrosion resistant.
2. Light weight.
3. Flexible joints tolerate some deflection.
4. Can be welded to form leak free, end load resitant systems
5. toughness
6. absorbs impact loads vibrations and ground movement
7. sitable for narrow trenching and trenchless installation
8. suitable for rehabilitation

1. Suspectible to impact and accidental damage
2. high standard of soil compaction required to limit deflection .
3. Strain corrosion attack in acidic conditions
4. Susceptible to permeation by contaminants
5. Little knowledge on behaviour under cylic conditions
6. Mains location leakage detection not established.

1. Gravity mains
2. Minor carriageways

1. ground subject to subsidence/significant movement.
2. contaminated ground
3. location subject to high levels of 3rd party interference
4. Pumping mains

1. Corrosion resistance
2. Lightweight
3. Flexible
4. Can be welded to form leak-free,
5. end load resistant systems
6. Toughness
7. Absorbs impact loads,vibration and ground movement
8. Suitable for narrow trenching and trenchless installations
9. Suitable for rehabilitation

1. Need to pressure de-rate(>250mm)where risk of long line fracture exists.
2. Susceptible to permeations/degradation by certain organic contaminants.
3. Fusion jointing requires special equipment and training.
4. Selected/imported bedding required
5. Reliant on stable support from soil to resist deformation.
6. Requires care in handling
7. Blue MDPE susceptible to UV degradation
8. Risk of flotation.
9. Mains location and leakage detection not established.

1. Gravity mains
2. Light traffic roads
3. Ground subject to movement and subsidence

1. Pumped mains/surge conditions
2. Major carriageways
3. Contaminated ground
4. Above ground(blue)

1. Corrosion resistance
2. High beam strength and rigidity
3. High degree of compction not required.
4. Impermeable to organic contaminants
5. Mains location easy(cylinder)
6. Easy to use jointing system

1. Heavy.
2. Repair methods complex.
3. Susceptible to impact damage.
4. Pipes cannot be cut in the field
5. Vulnerable to chemical attack by certain soils and waters
6. Mains location (non-cylinder) and leakage detection not established.
7. Joints are relatively inflexible
8. Not easy to add connection after installation.

1. Gravity mains
2. Pmping mains
3. Light traffic roads
4. Heavy traffic roads
5. Contaminated land(organics)
6. Ground subject to movementand subsidence(cylinder)

1. Aggressive soils/waters
2. Land contaminated with neat solvents(non-cylinder)
3. Ground subject to movement and subsidence(non-cylinder)
4. Locations subject to high levels of 3rd party interference(non-cylinder)

1. Strength and toughnes
2. Resitant to presssure fatigue
3. Can be welded to form leak-free,end load resistant systems
4. Ease of jointing (elastometrically sealed joints)
5. Flexible joints tolerate some deflection.
6. Impermeable to organic contaminants
7. Well established methods of repair
8. Easy location and keak detection
9. Can be produced to any diameter/pressure rating

1. Requires protection against internal and external corrosion.
2. Potential rise in pH when conveying soft waters(cement lined pipes only)
3. Corrosion protection systems suspectible to impact and accidental damage
4. Welded joints require special equipment and training
5. Cathodic protection systems require regular maintenance
6. Susceptible to attack by stray currents
7. Thin walled pipes with large diameter-to-thickness ratios rely on support from soil
8. Thin walled pipes jointed with mechanical fittings may suffer leakage

1. Gravity mains
2. Pumped mains
3. Heavy traffic roads
4. Light traffic roads
5. Contaminated land

1. aggressive waters
2. Low stiffness pipesin ground subject to movement and subsidence
3. Low stiffness pipes/mechanical fittings under heavy loadings

Polyvinyl chloride

(molecular oriented)

1. Lightweight

2. Ease of handling

3. Ease of jointing

4. Flexible joints tolerate some deflection.

5. High resistance to abrasion
6. Resistance to chemical attack
7. corrosion resistant.

1. Permeable to organic contaminants.
2. Susceptible to poor installation/backfill.
3. Blue MOPVC susceptible to UV degradation.
4. Risk of floatation
5. Joints need to be anchored
6. Mains location and leakage detection not established.

1. Low stress applications including gravity mains.

1. Contaminated (organics)ground.
2. Ground subject to movement and subsidence.
3. Pumped mains
4. Major carriageways.

Polyvinyl Chloride

(unplasticised)

1. Lightweight
2. Ease of handling
3. Ease of jointing
4. Flexible joints tolerate some deflection
5. High resistance to abrasion
6. Resistance to abrasion
7. Resistance to chemical attack
8. Corrosion resistant

1. Susceptible to point loading and impact damage.
2. susceptible to poor installation/backfill
3. permeable to high concentration of solvents.
4. Risk of fracture in land contaminated with detergents
5. Blue PVC-U susceptible o UV degradation
6. Risk of floatation
7. Joints need to be anchored
8. Mains location and leakage detection not established
9. susceptible to failure during tapping.

1. Low stress applications including gravity mains

1. Contaminated(solvents,detergents)
2. Ground subject to movement and subsidence
3. Pumped mains
4. Major carriageways