On August 2019, AGRU announced the introduction of its new 10-inch molded SDR 7 fitting. This latest product, which is a heavy-wall polyethylene fitting made with an injection molding machine, distinguishes AGRU as one of the very few U.S. manufacturers capable of making a molded SDR 7 fitting at this larger of a diameter. As AGRU continues to expand its product offering, we thought it would be helpful to provide an overview of AGRU’s high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes and fittings as well as the qualities that make them ideal for their applications.
In this article, we will provide an overview of AGRU’s range of HDPE fittings and large diameter piping products.
An overview of AGRU HDPE fittings
AGRU’s HDPE pipe fittings are manufactured from the latest generation of materials approved by the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) and the NSF. Consequently, the fittings produced by AGRU meet a range of typical requirements utilized in projects including ASTM D3261, ASTM D2513, NSF 61, and AWWA C901 and C906. While piping systems can be made from many different types of materials, such as steel, concrete, etc., HDPE is an ideal choice for wastewater, potable water, oil and gas, mining, irrigation, and industrial applications due to its strength, noncorrosive properties, flexibility, and long service life. In fact, HDPE fittings have a 50-plus life expectancy under normal conditions.
Alongside AGRU’s standard HDPE fittings, which are manufactured to specification, AGRU has continued to innovate in the fittings domain by expanding its product line of molded fittings. The company’s first-in-class 10” SDR 7 HDPE Butt Tee offers an exceptional pressure rating at dimensions that have been previously underserved. In addition to providing all the benefits of an HDPE fitting, a molded fitting carries numerous other advantages. Because a molded fitting requires no additional wraps or supporting items to strengthen its connection, the overall installation of the fitting to the pipe is more reliable, costs less, and has fewer opportunities to fail. Currently, there are no other manufacturer in the world that can produce fittings with these characteristics.
AGRU plans to continue expanding its fittings offering by developing more molded products in the SDR 7 and 9 range in the coming months. And at the other end of the size spectrum, AGRU has continued to refine its processes to deliver the largest diameter pipes available in North America.
An overview of AGRU large diameter pipes
The same resin used to manufacture AGRU’s pipe fittings are also used to extrude its large diameter pipes, giving the pipes high durability and strength in a very lightweight package. But what applications can possibly use AGRU’s XXL pipes that reach an outer diameter (OD) of 3,500 mm and a length of more than 600 m?
The Capital Region District in British Columbia used 2,000 m of AGRU’s HDPE XXL pipe (OD 2,250 mm) for an outfall pipe that will support a new wastewater treatment facility. HDPE pipe was selected over competing products for its increased flexibility, durability, and longevity. HDPE’s physical properties also facilitated installation, reduced transport costs, and promised to cut back on maintenance requirements and downtime as a result of the pipe’s chemical stability and resistance to corrosion. Finally, because AGRU extrudes rather than spiral winds its pipes, the HDPE XXL pipe used by CRD meets EN 12201 and ISO 4427 standards. The project is nearing completion and has already achieved several milestones for plastics in North America.
Across the Atlantic, AGRU’s XXL pipes are being used to support Monaco’s new €2 billion urban development project, which depends on an expansion into the Mediterranean. Much of Monaco’s new 60,000 m² district will be built on a human-made foundation filled with 600,000 tonnes of sand from Sicily. The foundations will also contain much of the new district’s infrastructure, including its sewage and stormwater infrastructure. For the project, AGRU supplied HDPE XXL pipes measuring OD 2500 mm and OD 1400 in SDR 26 from its large diameter pipe plants in Austria and the United States.
How do such large pipes reach their destination? When practical, it can be done by sea, floating on the surface of the water and tugged to coastal locations. The polyethylene used in the pipe allow it to withstand the harsh conditions of the salt water, ocean currents, and exposure to weathering. The specific resin used by AGRU for many of its products is designated PE 100-RC, which offers high resistance to slow crack growth and is ideal in extreme operating conditions or in areas with seismic activity.
Pipes and fittings by AGRU
Every year, industries evolve and demand more of its pipes and fittings to create new solutions for modern problems. AGRU is committed to both product categories and has continued to deliver pipes and fittings of the highest quality backed by decades of experience and industry-leading innovation.
