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| August Issue Post Date 8/20/04 | www.mcelroy.com | |
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Note From The Editor Once again I heard a form of the statement that has become predictable on the many HDPE jobs sites I visit each year. This time I was in Oregon (the salmon are starting to run) and a large, sun-weathered man with 20 years experience in pipeline work said, "In a few years, polyethylene will be the dominant pipe going in the ground all over the world." The fellow punctuated his statement by spitting into the ditch that seemed to have been dug for this purpose and added, "Workin with PE is like a frickin retirement job." I have yet to meet a pipeline crew that doesn't make a statement similar to this. It is obvious to the people working with HDPE that it truly is the pipe of the future. The precursor to the statement is usually just one HDPE job because after working with it; then that is all they want to use. A water house manager in Colorado said, "Polyethylene is what is going to happen to the water works business." A water manager in Florida said, "The tool that will play the most significant role in protecting every drop of water, is High Density Polyethylene." A drilling contractor in Colorado said, "I've pulled in every kind of pipe there is, but HDPE is tougher than a $2.00 steak and by far the best material for directional drilling." A municipal maintenance technician in Oklahoma said, "Once you get tired of fixing leaks and switch to HDPE, you wonder why anybody uses any other pipe." The attitude is one of knowing that HDPE is the pipe of the future but at the same time wondering why it hasn't happened yet. The looming water crisis at hand looks to be the catalysts that will bring America 's water infrastructure into the 21st Century by demanding a state of the art piping system. The old attitude that water is plentiful and cheap has finally received the much needed attitude adjustment following a nationwide drought along with leaks and pipeline failures that have cost pipeline owners billions in lost revenue. At the core of the dilemma is time. Time is becoming more precious as we wait for the future to get here. Too much time has already slipped by and our infrastructure has fallen into a state that is in such disrepair, that most water companies can't afford to fix it. With time comes a steady increase of leakage along with the rising price of water, which has created the conundrum we now face. We are turning to the Government with our hands out but they don't seem to think that it is up to them to keep our water bill low enough that we can pay for it with our popcorn money. They realize that in most places, the public is paying more for cable TV than they are paying for water and sewer and the message from Washington thus far is that there is very little financial help available. Time is also the greatest benefit of a polyethylene pipeline but can be the hardest to make relevant. It might as well be an add-on benefit thrown in at the end because the over one hundred year life expectancy of the material (which is understood by the industry) has not been scientifically proven and life cycle cost estimates are many times not even considered during the decision making process. Fiscal year budgets, price per linear foot and the comfort of working with a familiar material, often take the front seat in the choosing of piping material. This decision is often made without considering money saved on installation and money saved on maintenance over the life of the system. The savings over time are substantial and will only become more significant when lost water becomes more and more expensive. The future is here. Jump on the HDPE bandwagon now. P.S. The October issue of Underground Construction will be loaded with HDPE information, case studies and reports. This will be an excellent issue for your company to purchase advertising and show your support. Call them today to secure your space. Productivity Tip Make certain your generator is setup for the machine you are currently using. What I mean by that is to set your generator output voltage while it is under a load from the machine it is being used with. To do this, first make sure the circuit breaker on the generator is in the off position and then fire it up. Allow the generator to run a few seconds then plug in the fusion unit and/or heater. Turn the circuit breaker to the 'on' position and set the voltage according to the specifications of the fusion unit by increasing or decreasing the engine idle speed. There is an allowance of plus or minus 10% of the required AC voltage. If the generator is not setup in this way, the unit could drag the generator down causing the output voltage to drop below the minimum, which in turn causes the current (amperage) to increase, thus tripping the circuit breaker. McElroy machines have a placard on the control box stating what the minimum voltage requirement is. Tip number 2 deals with the use of extension cords. If at all possible keep your generator close enough to the fusion unit so that an extension cord is not required. I know in some, if not most situations this is nearly impossible. In that case, use an extension cord that is the same or larger wire gauge as the power cord used on the unit or the heater. For instance, the power cord on the McElroy #28 machine is a #14. Therefore you would want an extension cord with a wire gauge of #14 as well. You can use a #12 wire gauge if you desire, but DO NOT use a smaller gauge. This too will cause your circuit breaker to trip. Constant tripping of the breaker will weaken it and require you to replace it. The most important aspect, and I can't emphasize this enough, is make absolutely certain that whatever power or extension cord you use, has the ground prong attached to it. Using a power cord without the ground is extremely dangerous and can result in possible electrocution. Make doubly sure the power cords have the ground attached. I have seen many cases in which an extension cord is required and a crew will use a cord that was designed for use with Christmas lights or appliances or with cords that do not require a ground. Do yourself, your family and friends a favor and use the ground. It is there for a reason. Ron Bailey State Of The Infrastructure McElroy In The News The HOST Park Seawater Supply Pipeline, the world's deepest large diameter HDPE seawater intake pipeline, was selected as one of six finalists for the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Newsletter Links If you would like a link to your newsletter posted in McElroy Connections, contact Drew L. Wilson at 918-831-9286 or Links North American Society for Trenchless Technology American Water Works Association American Society of Civil Engineers Foundation Events Proper Fusion Techniques, Sidewall Fusion, Preventative Maintenance The class is approximately 30% classroom and 70% hand-on application. This class is aimed at Construction crew members, operators and field contractors. Students will receive a school certificate showing they have completed factory training. To register online visit: http://www.mcelroy.com/fusion/training/index.htm McElroy is proud to announce its all new web design that is now up and running. Go to McElroy.com to check out the new redesign. 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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The nation's wastewater treatment infrastructure is in sorry shape. Population growth and development have overwhelmed expansion of collection systems across much of the U.S. Maintenance often has lagged as many cities still rely on pipes that were put in the ground over a century ago. 
South West Georgia uses pipe bursting and HDPE to effect little disruption in gas pipe replacement project. 
