HDPE Pipe Resolves Environmental Concerns

While watertight seals are typically specified for storm sewer projects to keep water in a pipeline, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) recently faced an alternative issue – engineers were challenged to keep pollutants in the surrounding soil from entering the system. The project managers knew from the beginning that concrete pipe could not be used in this environment because of the corrosive nature of the soil and the joint performance requirements in these soil conditions. Instead, corrugated [high density] polyethylene (HDPE) pipe was selected – a material that was not vulnerable to the toxic severity of the soil. Further, the project required custom lengths, as few joints as possible, and a product that was easy to handle, making HDPE pipe the ideal material for the project.  More information is available in the attached CE News article.