ADS Pipe Receives 100-Year Service Life Approval

Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. (ADS), the world’s largest manufacturer of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, is the first and only HDPE manufacturer in the underground drainage industry to receive a 100-year service life approval for its revolutionary N-12 corrugated HDPE pipe.

The designation, given by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), approves N-12 pipe for use in most FDOT applications. Utilizing the most extensive testing protocol in the pipe industry, FDOT granted approval for 18-in. to 48-in. ADS N-12 pipe under the “Class II” 100-year service life designation.

“The test results in Florida prove there is an increasing level of confidence in the use and performance of HDPE pipe,” said Joe Chlapaty, chairman and chief executive officer for ADS. “Our goal is to deliver a product that will still be in the ground for generations to come and performing its intended purpose."

To determine the expected service life of the corrugated HDPE drainage pipe, FDOT adopted a test protocol specification that is the most stringent and comprehensive in the pipe industry. Incorporating projected long-term buried stress and environmental conditions, the test protocol utilizes the rate process method and oxidation induction time testing to measure stress crack resistance and product durability. These methods are well established and widely used in the pressure pipe industry as a means to predict the long-term performance of thermoplastic pipe.

According to ADS, the approval in Florida will mean significant growth among the company’s public transportation infrastructure projects. "We sell pipe day in and day out in Florida, but this approval will open numerous doors in terms of growth for ADS and our N-12 product line,” said Bob Klein, vice president of sales and customer relations for ADS. "By manufacturing pipe within the state of Florida and keeping our product as close to our customers as possible, it will significantly reduce the time and cost of delivery. The ability to expand the applications of N-12 pipe will advance the industry as we know it today."

Source: Advanced Drainage Systems Inc.