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Note From The Editor
Greetings Discerning Readers,
Bobby Murray and I are standing in the middle of a 70 acre meadow surrounded by hardwoods and evergreens of pristine wilderness that stretches in every direction. We are somewhere near Sugarloaf, Maine, and lucky to have found this place. Murray is one of McElroy’s engineers who helped design a new piece of equipment that is being used on this HDPE jobsite. He brought me along because he heard that there were no road-signs in that part of Maine and figured he could use me to ask everyone directions so he wouldn’t look lost.
We stand on a meadow of grass less than forty feet above a natural aquifer tucked below the lowest point of this small valley. Mostly untouched wilderness surrounds us and the landscape acts as Mother Earth’s water-treatment plant before depositing the water into the aquifer. Her bounty is delicious wet-stuff along with a great mix of minerals that reverses the aging process.
Not really.
But I tried some, and so did Murray and as you may imagine, it tastes like the nectar of the Gods. Perhaps that is why the water of this valley has been a drinking source for people for over 10,000 years. In fact you can try some for yourself at www.Polandsprings.com. |
Poland Spring is building a pipeline through this meadow which will pump water from the aquifer to one of its nearby bottling factories. The whole project has been designed with the natural environment’s protection as the leading vision for the project. Additional measures are taken to ensure the construction site and its environment, remains super clean. Of course, HDPE won the bid. |
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“The largest environmental benefit we are providing is the HDPE piping system,” said Bill Hanes of VARI-TECH who provided the pipe, and the pipe handeling system. Hanes is also lending the project a hand on several environmental fronts. “The environmental concerns of this project are at a high level to begin with, and some of McElroy’s equipment has helped us show the pipeline owners construction methods that protect the environment at an even higher level.”
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Hanes is speaking of the PolyHorse which is McElroy’s new pipe handling and feeding device, and of the TracStar fusion machine used to butt fuse the pipe together. “The TracStar made it possible to drive it onto a trailer where we could contain the refueling process, which was mandatory to protect the aquafer,” said Hanes. “The PolyHorse eliminates a large piece of construction equipment and speeds the whole operation. To watch a single worker feed a fifty foot piece of DR 9 into a fusion machine by hand was a thing of beauty.”
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Murray puts his engineering eye on the crew while they take the PolyHorse out of the back of a pickup and put it together in about fifteen minutes. He is supposed to be watching for ways in which the pipe loading device may be improved or give the crew any needed instruction. They never even look at him. They rough-handle his creation as if they don’t know how many hours he has spent alone with it. On a good note, it seems to put itself together. Soon, one worker slides pipe from the rack into the fusion machine and butt-fuses it to a pulling head. From here the operation flies through the first few sticks in a quick afternoon. The next day they double the amount of pipe they had been producing before using the PolyHorse.
One of the workers pauses for a moment to finally ask Murray a technical question. Murray looks as if he is ready to explode with many answers. Instead the worker asks him a question about the Oklahoma weather. Bobby answers, “The weather is great, but what’s really cool is we have signs on almost all of the roads and all of the highways in the entire state.”
The fellow responds, “This Pipe feeder’s working great.” Murray seems happy again. |
Drew L. Wilson;
Editor
(918) 831-9286 |
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Industry News |
J-M Manufacturing Company, Inc. and PW Eagle, Inc., manufacturers of plastic pipe, fittings and tubing products, today announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement under which J-M Manufacturing will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of PW Eagle for $33.50 per share in cash. The transaction represents an implied total equity value of approximately $400 million.
Click here to read more
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| New Standards |
New ASTM Standard F2620
Standard Practice for Heat Fusion Joining of Polyethylene Pipe and Fittings.
By Jim Craig, P.E.
Industry Relations Manager
McElroy Manufacturing, Inc.
In 1990, the Department of Transportation (DOT) attended a meeting of the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) and requested that it develop either a book with all the pipe manufacturer’s fusion procedures or get together and develop one procedure for all. The DOT was having problems qualifying operators because the procedures from different manufacturers were slightly different.
I chaired the task group that was made up of pipe, fitting, equipment and resin manufacturers in PPI and we quickly decided that one procedure not only could be accomplished but that it would be better for the polyethylene industry to have just one procedure.
After four years of qualification testing to verify the parameters and procedures, a PPI Technical Report TR-33 (Generic Butt Fusion Joining Procedures for Field Joining of Polyethylene Pipe) was finally published.
Following this project, we started work on a Generic Saddle Fusion Procedure and the same group of manufacturer’s was involved. After about two years PPI Technical Report TR-41 (Generic Saddle Fusion Procedure for Polyethylene Gas Piping) was published.
These Technical Reports had the approval of almost all of the pipe manufacturers in North America and they have a letter to that affect in the document. For the past 12-14 years, they have been the standard in the polyethylene industry and have been adopted by many utilities and municipalities.
Because these technical reports were the accepted standards in the industry, I took out a project to make these reports on butt and saddle fusion into an ASTM standard practice along with the procedures for socket fusion. This standard can be specified by engineers, consultants, etc. as the proper procedures to follow when doing butt, saddle or socket heat fusion of polyethylene pipe or fittings. It also gives guidance to contractors who are normally responsible for installing the pipe in the field.
This standard has been approved by ASTM and is available on line now.
Jim Craig, P. E. is the Industry Relations Manager for McElroy Manufacturing.
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| Oil of the 21 st Century |
Farmers taken aback after Nebraska suggests sharp irrigation cuts
MCCOOK, Neb. -- Matt Harrison was too angry for small talk, so he instead asked a question state officials will likely hear repeatedly as they try to solve the state's...
Click here to read the entire story! |
Flagstaff renews deal to sell wastewater to make snow
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- The city has signed off on a five-year contract extension to sell treated wastewater for snowmaking at the Arizona Snowbowl ski area, even...
Click here to read the entire story! |
Mazahua Indians seize plant, briefly shut one of Mexico City's main water sources
MEXICO CITY-- A group of about 300 Mazahua Indians briefly seized a water treatment plant on Mexico City's western outskirts and temporarily cut off one of...
Click here to read the entire story! |
Salt Lake City mayor discourages bottled water
SALT LAKE CITY-- Mayor Rocky Anderson is telling City Hall staff that some water is bad for the environment. Anderson has asked employees to voluntarily stop...
Click here to read the entire story! |
Utah County towns fear water grab
LEHI, Utah -- An official is calling it a "water war." Two Utah County communities are claiming their supplies will be diminished if the state allows new wells to be...
Click here to read the entire story! |
Wash. governor wants $220 million for Puget Sound cleanup
SEATTLE -- When Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire was growing up south of here in Auburn, she fished with her mom on Puget Sound. She walked along its beaches...
Click here to read the entire story! |
| Free McElroy Training |
Now, when you register McElroy equipment, on behalf of your customers, you are giving them a gift of up to $600.
To help introduce the new 2007 curriculum of McElroy University Classes and Certification Options, McElroy is offering free or half-price classes (a discount of $600 or $300) for your customers that purchase a McElroy Fusion Machine.
Your customers that purchase a hydraulic machine from a 28 series or larger, will receive a class of their choosing for free (i.e. a $600 discount). Your customers that purchase a manual machine size No.14 and below will receive 50% off a class of their choosing (i.e. a discount of $300).
Please note: the discount only applies to class tuition. Those opting for any certification will still be responsible for the $150 testing fee.
Eligibility
To receive the discount:
- The machine must be purchased after 1/1/2007
- The distributor must register the machine with McElroy via the product registration section on the McElroy Distributor Website
- Upon proper registration, a letter will be sent to the contact person listed on the registration with a discount code specific to each machine registered (codes can only be used for one time)
- During registration, your customer will need to enter the discount code, model number, and serial number of the machine for verification
- Customers will initially be charged for the full price of the class but upon verfication, their account will be credited with the appropriate discount
- All other rules and guidelines for McElroy University (such as cancellation policy) will still apply
- This promotion is offered on a limited time basis and can be cancelled at any time
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact your McElroy Regional Sales Manager (RSM) or Customer Service Representative (CSR) |
| Links |
Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI)
Founded in 1950, The Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI) is the major trade association representing all segments of the plastics piping industry. PPI members share a common interest in broadening market opportunities that make effective use of plastics piping for water and gas distribution, sewer and wastewater, oil and gas production, industrial and mining uses, power and communications, duct and irrigation.
http://www.plasticpipe.org/index01.php |
North American Society for Trenchless Technology
The North American Society for Trenchless Technology is a multiple disciplinary society of individuals and organizations with professional, utilitarian or environmental interests in Trenchless Technology. It was founded and incorporated as a non-profit organization in June 1990.
http://www.nastt.org/ |
American Water Works Association
Established in 1881, AWWA is the oldest and largest nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to safe drinking water in North America . AWWA has more than 57,000 members worldwide and its 4,700 utility members serve 80 percent of America 's population.
http://www.awwa.org |
American Society of Civil Engineers Foundation
Assists ASCE with resource development and the enhancement of its programs through the philanthropy of its membership and the wider public.
http://www.asce.org/foundation/ |
If you would like a link to your newsletter posted in McElroy Connections, contact Drew L. Wilson at 918-831-9286 or
McElroy Connections welcomes your feedback, story ideas, tips, or anything else related to PE Pipe and Pipe fusion. Please email your comments and story ideas to:
FOR NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS: To subscribe, visit http://www.mcelroy.com/fusion/forms/newsletter.htm
McElroy Connections is published by McElroy Manufacturing Inc. The information contained within each issue is meant as a service to our customers, distributors, and those involved with Polyethylene Pipe applications.
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