IRVING, TEXAS — The Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. reports that the Tennessee Department of Transportation has approved large-diameter, corrugated high density polyethylene pipe for storm water drainage.
TDOT approval came after its year-long field test, which was completed in mid-2012. According to PPI in Irving, the test showed no notable defects, deflection or stress on the pipe that was buried at a height depth of three to four feet.
Since 2007, TDOT has allowed the corrugated HDPE pipe to be used for cross drains, transverse median drains and storm drain systems with up to 18 feet of fill light.
The new approval for storm water drainage covers longitudinal installation, an application that, for HDPE pipe, had been limited to side drains under driveways.
“We estimate that longitudinal installation accounts for more than 80 percent of HDPE pipe use in storm sewer drainage,” said PPI Executive Director Tony Radoszewski.
Timewell Tile Inc., a PPI member in Timewell, Ill., manufactured pipe for the test site in Dickson County, Tenn., which used 84 feet of 24-inch diameter pipe and 90 feet of 36-inch pipe.