FRP pipe

From: <Christopher>
Date: Fri Sep 02 2005 - 21:52:00 EDT

All the traffic relative to plastic pipe reminds me of a thread I followed on the steam list <steam-list@lists.cc.utexas.edu> which indicated some serious problems with gradual deterioration in condensate lines. I got a report authored by the US Corps of Engineers on the problem and it really concluded that it wasn't such a great idea.

I've done a fair amount of work with FRP tanks holding grey water and used as septic tanks, and they seem to work OK as well as with gasoline, although I don't know if there's been any real long term history generated. OTOH I had a couple of investigations, one involving a 16 inch chilled water line (90psi) which burst at a fabricated elbow from an obvious fabrication defect. The other investigation was a compressed natural gas tank which burst when the glass epoxy wrap was degraded.

I take this as fairly spotty service--I'm curious if everyone's experience with FRP has been unblemished and if there's a service envelope for FRP. Are there formed seamless fittings available for large (>12 in dia) pipe or must they be field fabbed.

Christopher Wright P.E. |"They couldn't hit an elephant at <a href="/group/PipingDesign/post?postID=bd7POCpC14IBJsTq4KNleget8Kvi1BxZJjWab8YiwJlfdSfU53lOmrDOxoFC9_NxDEzMJ305-J2Ffg">chrisw@skypoint.com</a> | this distance" (last words of Gen.

____________________| John Sedgwick, Spotsylvania 1864)

<a href="http://www.skypoint.com/~chrisw">http://www.skypoint.com/~chrisw</a> Received on Fri Sep 02 21:52:00 2005