Mar 11 2014
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) announced today that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has approved the use of ADS’ High Performance (HP) polypropylene (PP) pipe in 12 through 60 inch diameters for 100-year design service life applications in accordance with FDOT’s 2014 Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, Section 948-7.
According to FDOT documents, polypropylene pipe has passed the needed testing to be accepted for 100-year side drain, cross drain and storm sewer applications. Until project plans and specifications reflect this update, PP pipe may be selected by the contractor for any project where high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe is allowed.
"The pipe underwent a stringent and formal testing program required by FDOT, and met all criteria," stated Greg Bohn, director of national engineering at ADS. “Now FDOT contractors, and local agencies whose roadway construction regulations follow FDOT standards, may choose to use polypropylene pipe for their storm drainage applications. ADS HP Pipe provides a superior sanitary-grade joint and can reduce the installed cost versus traditional pipe materials. In addition, the pipe is manufactured with impact modified copolymer PP resins, which provide increased pipe stiffness and excellent durability characteristics to achieve 100-year design service life performance.”
To determine the expected service life of ADS HP pipe, FDOT adopted a test protocol specification that is recognized as the most comprehensive in the pipe industry. Incorporating projected long-term buried stress and environmental conditions, it utilizes stress crack resistance and oxidation resistance testing to predict the long-term performance of thermoplastic pipe.
ADS also manufactures N-12® corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, which was granted approval by FDOT for 100 year service life in 2008.
To facilitate local supply for the Florida market, both ADS N-12 HDPE and ADS HP polypropylene pipe products are manufactured at the ADS plant in Winter Garden, FL. ADS has a global network of 58 domestic and international manufacturing plants and 28 distribution centers.