What are the diameters of HDPE pipes, types, characteristics

Technical characteristics of HDPE pipes

SDR coefficient for HDPE pipes

The SDR coefficient is a standard dimensional ratio that determines the size of the walls and the circumference of the pipes. This information is needed to determine the water pressure that a pipe of one size or another can withstand. With a small coefficient, it is necessary to use a lower pressure head compared to a pipe with thicker walls

When buying products, pay attention to the data that are indicated in the product documents.

PE pipe weight

The weight of a PE pipe also depends on the degree of density, because the thicker and wider the PE product, the naturally and higher its mass.

Nominal outer diameter, mm	Estimated weight of 1 m of pipe, kg
SDR 21	SDR 13.6	SDR9	SDR 6
S 10	S6.3	S4	S2.5
10	0,052
12	0,065
16	0,092	0,116
20	0,134	0,182
20	0,134	0,182
25	0,151	0,201	0,280
32	0,197	0,233	0,329	0,459
40	0,249	0,358	0,511	0,713
50	0,376	0,552	0,798	1,10
63	0,582	0,885	1,27	1,75
75	0,831	1,25	1,79	2,48
90	1,19	1,80	2,59	3,58
110	1,78	2,66	3,84	5,34
125	2,29	3,42	4,96	6,90
140	2,89	4,29	6,24
160	3,77	5,61	8,13

Nominal outer diameter, mm	Estimated weight of 1 m of pipe, kg
SDR 41	SDR 33	SDR 26	SDR 21	SDR 17.6	SDR 17	SDR 13.6	SDR 11	SDR9	SDR 7.4	SDR 6
S20	S 16	S 12.5	S 10	S 8.3	S8	S 6.3	S5	S4	S 3.2	S 2.5
10	0,051
12	0,064
16	0,090	0,102	0,115
20	0,116	0,132	0,162	0,180
25	0,148	0,169	0,198	0,24	0,277
32	0,193	0,229	0,277	0,325	0,385	0,453
40	0,244	0,281	0,292	0,353	0,427	0,507	0,600	0,701
50	0,308	0,369	0,436	0,449	0,545	0,663	0,786	0,935	1,47
63	0,392	0,488	0,573	0,682	0,715	0,869	1,05	1,25	1,47	1,73
75	0,469	0,543	0,668	0,821	0,97	1,01	1,23	1,46	1,76	2,09	2,45
90	0,630	0,782	0,969	1,18	1,40	1,45	1,76	2,12	2,54	3,00	3,52
110	0,930	1,16	1,42	1,77	2,07	2,16	2,61	3,14	3,78	4,49	5,25
125	1,25	1,50	1,83	2,26	2,66	2,75	3,37	4,08	4,87	5,78	6,77
140	1,53	1,87	2,31	2,83	3,35	3,46	4,22	5,08	6,12	7,27	8,49
160	1,98	2,41	3,03	3,71	4,35	4,51	5,50	6,67	7,97	9,46	11,1
180	2,47	3,78	4,66	5,47	5,71	6,78	6,98	8,43	10,1	12,0	14,0
200	3,3	3,82	4,68	5,77	6,78	7,04	8,56	10,4	12,5	14,8	17,3
225	3,84	4,76	5,88	7,29	8,55	8,94	10,9	13,2	15,8	18,7	21,9
250	4,81	5,90	7,29	8,91	10,6	11,0	13,4	16,2	19,4	23,1	27,0
280	5,96	7,38	9,09	11,3	13,2	13,8	16,8	20,3	24,4	28,9	33,9
315	7,49	9,35	11,6	14,2	16,7	17,4	21,3	25,7	30,8	36,6	42,8
355	9,53	11,8	14,6	18,0	21,2	22,2	27,0	32,6	39,2	46,4	54,4
400	12,1	15,1	18,6	22,9	26,9	28,0	34,2	41,4	49,7	59,0	69,0
450	15,2	19,0	23,5	29,0	34,0	35,5	43,3	52,4	62,9	74,6
500	19,0	23,4	29,0	35,8	42,0	43,9	53,5	64,7	77,5	92,1
560	23,6	29,4	36,3	44,8	52,6	55,0	67,1	81,0	97,3
630	29,9	37,1	46,0	56,6	66,6	69,6	84,8	103	123
710	38,1	47,3	58,5	72,1	84,7	88,4	108	131
800	48,3	59,9	74,1	91,4	108	112	137
900	60,9	75,9	93,8	116	136	142	173
1000	75,4	93,5	116	143	168	175	214
1200	108	134	167	206	242	252
1400	148	183	227	280
1600	193	239	296

What pressure can HDPE pipes withstand?

According to GOST, there are four brands of the most common sizes of polyethylene pipes:

The last digit indicates the degree of density of HDPE products, which determines what kind of pressure this or that PE pipe can withstand.

Relation to other size characteristics

Products that are made of solid polymeric materials can be made in a variety of sizes - from the smallest to the largest. As for their size, it can vary in the range from 10 to 1600 mm . At the same time, their sizes can also change.

Length of the product

Tubular products, which have a diameter of up to 160 mm, are usually supplied by manufacturers in coils or coils. Their length can vary from 100 to 500 meters. However, sometimes they are simply cut into certain segments. Products with a large wall thickness, starting from a diameter of 160 mm, are produced in the form of segments of a certain length. Usually it varies from 3 to 12 m.

For small and large products, the wall thickness may vary:

• for products with an outer diameter of 10 mm, the wall thickness is not more than 2 mm;
• for products with a diameter of 90 mm, this thickness does not apply. The smallest is 2.2 mm;
• as the diameter increases, the wall thickness also increases.

Diameter

I would like to draw attention to the fact that the most important indicator is the ratio of the diameter of the product to the thickness. Focusing on it, you can determine the strength of a particular pipeline

This marking characteristic is fixed by the SDR index.

In the case of HDPE products, the diameter will be as follows:

• if the product has the same diameters, then the presence of a lower SDR indicator in a polyethylene pipe indicates a greater wall thickness;
• for tubular products of the same thickness, the smaller value of this indicator will be for pipes with the largest diameter. For example, for tubular products having a thickness of 2 mm and a diameter of 10 mm, the working pressure will reach 25 atmospheres. That is, they will be stronger than tubular products with a similar wall thickness and a diameter of 50 mm. For such structures, the working pressure will reach a maximum of 6 atmospheres.

Formulas for calculating the weight of HDPE and LDPE pipes

How much does a HDPE pipe weigh? This question is easy to answer by looking at the formulas below for calculating the weight of HDPE and LDPE pipes. To calculate the weight of the pipe, you must ask the manufacturer for some technical specifications:

• W - pipe wall thickness
• p is the density of the HDPE or LDPE material

Step-by-step method for calculating pipe weight:

1. Calculate the circumference of a HDPE or LDPE pipe: L = π*D
2. Calculate the area of ​​the outer surface: S=L*l
3. Calculate the amount of material spent on the production of the pipe: V=S*W
4. Calculate the weight of the pipe P=p*V

P.S. Additional explanation

1. Density of HDPE pipe = 940-960 kg/m3
2. Density of LDPE pipe = 910-930 kg/m3
3. L (m) - circumference
4. π -3,14
5. D (m) — Pipe diameter
6. S (m2) - Pipe surface area
7. l (m.) - pipe length
8. V (m3) - the volume of "material spent on the pipe" ...
9. W (mm) — pipe wall thickness
10. p (kg./m3) - material density
11. P (kg.) - weight of material

Calculation example for HDPE pipe d32: wall thickness 3mm.

1. L \u003d 3.14 * 0.032 m. \u003d 0.10048 m.
2. S \u003d 0.10048m. * 1m. \u003d 0.10048 m 2
3. V= 0.10048 m2*0.003m.=0.00030144
4. P \u003d 0.00030144 * 950 kg. \u003d 0.286 kg. weight of one meter

A source

HDPE pipes are often used in the installation of heating and water supply systems.

When choosing, great attention is paid to the linear dimensions of products. The strength and permeability of the pipeline largely depends on these indicators.

It is important not only to choose the right pipes for the installation of a communication system, but also to perform the installation in a quality manner. There are various ways to connect these pipes.

Choosing the appropriate option, you can facilitate the task of arranging the pipeline and ensure the reliability of its operation.

Which pipes to choose

Most often, pipes for cold water supply made of steel are installed in houses. The disadvantages of such a pipeline are obvious:

• unpleasant taste, color and smell of water due to corrosion of the material;
• rapid destruction of pipes at the joints.

Slightly better in terms of the quality of the water supplied to the house are zinc coated pipes
. But galvanizing also has an unpleasant property to interact with water and saturate it with zinc compounds. In addition, at the joints of the pipes, the zinc coating is destroyed very quickly, and the pipes begin to rust again.

Stainless steel pipes are almost perfect:

• do not rust, do not change the color and taste of water;
• do not pollute water;
• last long enough.

The only reason why they are not used as widely as cold water pipes made of steel or galvanized pipes is their cost. But if you want to have clean water in your home, you will have to spend money.

Cast iron pipes
is a unique and most popular material for main pipelines. The maximum service life of such pipes is almost 100 years. If you want to bring water into the house and almost forever forget about plumbing - stop at this material.

The advantages of cast iron include the fact that it does not interact with water, does not rust and does not affect the taste of water. An important advantage of cast-iron pipes is their ability to withstand heavy loads: they are tested at pressures of more than 50 atmospheres at factories.

Cast iron pipes can be used both for domestic and drinking water supply and for sewerage installation.

Another option is plastic pipes. A fairly popular and budget option, and ease of installation and long service life made them the favorite material of builders. It is believed that plastic does not interact with water.

Features of the installation of metal pipes

As mentioned earlier, when buying pipes for water supply, you need to pay attention not only to the cost and technical parameters, but also to the complexity of installation. As for metal pipelines, there can be two mounting methods here

1. Demountable installation
   

collapsible method
pipeline installation involves connecting pipes using special threaded fittings. At the same time, the pipe is screwed into the fitting, and the joint itself is clamped with a lock nut. In other words, there are no fittings with fittings, as is the case with plastic pipes.

For installation, only an ordinary wrench is required, but such simplicity has a downside - if the diameter of the pipes exceeds 6.3 cm, then collapsible installation will not be possible, since locknuts, as well as fittings, do not exist.

1. Non-separable installation
   

As you probably already guessed, non-separable method
consists in welding or soldering joints. It is characteristic that in this case the diameter of the pipeline will not play any role.

Such versatility of the method requires the use of special tools - a welding machine, a gas cutter, etc. This is where the main drawback of non-separable installation “surfaced” - not all welders know how to weld pipes.

Main performance characteristics of HDPE pipes

HDPE pipes are delivered to the shelves of specialized HDPE stores in coils or coils, in which a pipe with a diameter of 16 to 110 mm, a length of up to 1000 m is laid, as well as in the form of straight sections having a length of 12 m and a diameter of 110-1200 mm. The manufacturer's marking, in addition to blue stripes, contains the following data:

• name of the manufacturer, his contact numbers, date of manufacture and batch number;
• brand of polyethylene used (PE63, PE80, PE100, PE100+);
• purpose;
• wall thickness and diameter;
• SDR;
• GOST or TU.
• When choosing HDPE pipes for any specific needs, the following characteristics must be considered:
• the brand of polyethylene used during the creation of the pipe;
• pipe diameter;
• SDR or the ratio between wall thickness and pipe diameter, showing the degree of material resistance to internal pressure.

In addition to the characteristics listed above, for polyethylene pipes there is such a parameter as nominal or working pressure. This value reflects the numerical value of the pressure created by the flow of water on the internal walls of the pipeline at a temperature of 200°C. Depending on the specific value of this value, HDPE pipes are divided into the following categories:

• pressure pipes;
• medium pressure pipes;
• pipes operating under vacuum.

It should be borne in mind that of the existing varieties of HDPE pipes, only for water pressure pipelines there is GOST 18599-2001, which describes all the necessary technical parameters and scope. HDPE water pressure pipes can be used in the following areas:

• when creating home water supply communications;
• for water supply to industrial reclamation installations;
• to create sewer systems;
• for gas supply communications.

Unfortunately, with sufficiently high performance, HDPE pipes, nevertheless, are not without certain disadvantages. In particular, pipelines based on polyethylene water pipes have a very low compressive strength, and they also lose their basic properties during prolonged contact with ultraviolet radiation.

Pipes non-metallic

Is it worth replacing old metal pipes with more modern non-metal ones? This question is of interest to many, let's try to figure it out. The main advantage of non-metallic plumbing is its resistance to rust formation. Moreover, the inner surface is even and smooth, which will prevent the growths characteristic of metal from appearing on it.

Plastic pipes are able to withstand high temperatures (but not more than 95 ° C) and pressures of the order of ten atmospheres. Plastic plumbing will last more than half a century (only copper pipes have such operational durability).

Metal-plastic pipes

The design of metal-plastic pipes is multilayered. Outside and inside they have plastic, and in the middle - a layer of aluminum. The advantage is high strength combined with low weight. For example, 20 m of such a pipe weighs no more than 3-4 kg.

Pipes made of metal-plastic are elastic, they can be given any shape. They also conduct heat very well. When installing metal-plastic pipes, welding is not required; they are connected to each other with a wrench and special fittings.

Among the shortcomings, I would like to note the fact that with a sharp temperature jump of water passing through the pipeline, aluminum will shrink faster than plastic. Plus high blood pressure. It turns out that the “Achilles heel” of pipes is precisely the connections.

Note! When purchasing metal-plastic pipes, be aware that blue products should only be used for cold water supply (water temperature should not exceed 30 °). White pipes are used for hot water supply.

Polypropylene pipes

Polypropylene pipes do not have the disadvantages that metal-plastic pipes have, although their technical characteristics are almost the same. The advantage is that the pipes are interconnected by thermal welding, due to which a high strength of the joints is achieved. At the same time, polypropylene is much stiffer, which is why it will not work to change the direction of the water supply by ordinary bending - this is provided by fittings.

Polypropylene pipes are characterized by durability and low cost. They can serve more than 50 years (if we are talking about hot water supply, then this figure is halved). Moreover, the characteristics of polypropylene remain unchanged even when water freezes.

The main disadvantage of such pipes is considered to be a high rate of linear expansion, that is, at high temperatures, the pipeline lengthens and sags somewhat. Also, they are negatively affected by ultraviolet radiation, and temperatures above 75 ° C can even cause a rupture of a water pipe.

Polyethylene pipes

Polyethylene pipes are able to withstand pressure up to 16 atmospheres and temperatures from -40° to +40°. As we can see, their heat resistance is quite low, which, together with a high linear expansion rate, can be considered a negative quality.

For this reason, polyethylene is rarely used in water supply, its “relative” is much more popular - cross-linked polyethylene
. This material appeared not so long ago, but has already managed to acquire thousands of supporters. Indeed, the installation of pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene is very simple, because the fittings used for this do not have rubber seals - for tightness, the pipe is crimped with a special fitting.

So, the advantages of cross-linked polyethylene are as follows:

• it perfectly tolerates sub-zero temperatures;
• cross-linked polyethylene is inert to various substances in the circulating water;
• PE pipe connections are very strong;
• the fittings used here do not reduce the permeability of the water.

PVC pipes

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) surpasses all previous versions of plastic pipes both in strength and resistance to chemicals. Indeed, such pipes are able to withstand a pressure of about 46 atmospheres. Moreover, the material does not burn, it can be used to supply both hot water (tolerates a temperature of 90 °) and cold.

When installing PVC pipes, you do not need a welding machine or other specific tools, so it is quite possible to do all the work on arranging the water supply system yourself. Pipes are connected only by means of couplings and corners, which makes the process of installing a water supply system more economical.

During the installation of HDPE water pipes of various diameters, there may be some differences

• For pipes with a diameter of 20-50 mm, it is necessary to partially disassemble the fitting, then prepare the parts to be connected, that is, clean them of dirt, chamfer from the outside, perform the necessary marking of the depth of immersion of the pipe into the fitting cavity, insert the pipe into the fitting with the necessary force then tighten the nut to the end of the threaded connection.
• For pipes with a diameter of 63-110 mm, it is necessary to prepare the pipe and compression fitting accordingly, for which it is disassembled into separate components, such as a split fixing ring, thrust cup, sealing ring. Then perform pre-assembly without using a split ring, and after its successful completion, perform final assembly, during which the split ring must be put on the pipe and moved to the coupling, tighten the nut with a wrench.

During the implementation of the second, one-piece method, it is necessary to strictly adhere to all the requirements related to with installation of HDPE pipes, and also take into account that the technology of welding by the electrofusion method and butt welding have quite serious differences between themselves. The most technologically advanced method is butt welding of HDPE pipes

To implement this method, not only the appropriate skills of the installer will be required, but also the presence of a special apparatus for welding. This method is most often used when installing pressure HDPE pipes of the PE100 brand, which have a large diameter

The most technologically advanced method is butt welding of HDPE pipes. To implement this method, not only the appropriate skills of the installer will be required, but also the presence of a special apparatus for welding. This method is most often used when installing pressure HDPE pipes of the PE100 brand, which have a large diameter.

When butt-welding, the ends of the pipes to be joined are thoroughly cleaned, then degreased, after which the ends are chamfered at an angle of 45º, heated with a soldering iron to a state of ductility and joined. Further, leaving the connected pipes in their original state, wait for them to cool completely. It should be noted that this method cannot be used for joining pipes of different diameters and pipelines made on the basis of different materials.

The most practical is the method based on the use of welded couplings or fittings with a special spiral inside, which heats up when connected to an electric current source. When implementing this method, special skill is not required. All that is needed is to place the ends of the HDPE pipes to be welded into a coupling or fitting, connect the spiral to a power source, and then wait until the parts to be joined are fused.

Features of HDPE pipes

Technological requirements for products

PND water pipes are produced in strict accordance with low-pressure polyethylene grades PE 80 and PE 100. According to regulatory documents, polyethylene pipes must meet the following basic requirements:

• the surface of the products, both internal and external, must be perfectly smooth;
• the formation of bubbles, cracks, shells or foreign inclusions on the inner, outer and end surfaces is not allowed;
• products must withstand working pressure (maximum) up to 16 or 20 atmospheres.

Products that meet the stated requirements are manufactured with a diameter of 16.0 to 1600.0 mm and are supplied in coils of 100 and 200 meters or straight lengths of 12.0 m.

HDPE products are painted black and marked with longitudinal blue stripes, which are evenly distributed around the circumference of the pipe (usually at least three).

HDPE pipes for water supply

Parameters of PE products

The HDPE pipe for cold water supply, as well as for transporting hot water, is characterized by several very important parameters that determine the scope of the product:

1. Manufacturing material. Pipes made of PE 80 have good consumer qualities and can withstand a fairly high internal pressure of the working environment. Therefore, most often such products are used for the construction of pipelines with a cross section of not more than 90.0 mm. Pipeline products made of polyethylene grade PE 100 provide the opportunity to provide the required throughput with a smaller diameter. Such pipes are mainly used for laying cold water systems.
2. The coefficient of resistance of HDPE pipes to working internal pressure (SDR). It is equal to the ratio of the cross section of a polyethylene pipe to the wall thickness of the product. The lower the stability coefficient, the stronger the pipes are considered.
3. Diameter of low density polyethylene products. For laying a private pipeline (at a country or country house), it is enough to use pipes with a diameter of 20 or 25 mm. With a large daily water consumption, pipes 32 mm in diameter can be used.

The main advantages of HDPE products

The demand for this product for laying water pipes is due to the following advantages:

good resistance to aggressive media such as acid, alkali, salt (except nitric acid);
a sufficiently long service life (not less than 50 years);
neutrality with respect to the transported liquid, so the composition and other properties of water remain unchanged;
resistance against various fungal microorganisms;
non-susceptibility to corrosion, which is very important in the case of laying pipelines in swampy areas or in soil with high humidity;
light weight, which facilitates the process of laying the pipeline.

Another important advantage of polyethylene pipes is their frost resistance down to minus 70ºС, so when laying a pipeline there is no need to insulate it.

metal pipes

Metal pipes are a classic. They have been serving for many decades and have not lost their popularity to this day. Among them there are those that are used exclusively for cold water, and there are also for hot water supply. Consider the pros and cons of each type of pipe.

They are standard and galvanized. During installation, the pipes are threaded, for which tees, adapters, couplings, etc. are used. Steel pipes have gained considerable popularity due to their reliability and durability. They are not afraid of sudden temperature changes and high pressure, and according to the method of manufacture they are divided into:

• welded;
• seamless.

If we talk about which steel pipes are of the highest quality, then there is only one option - seamless with a galvanized coating. Zinc is known to prevent corrosion, so there is no need to paint or prime such pipes.

We have considered the advantages of steel pipes, now let's see what their disadvantages are.

1. Large weight, as a result - difficulties in transportation and installation.
2. Corrosion.
3. When installing the pipeline, welding work is required, which further complicates the process.
4. There will be impurities in the water passing through the pipes.
5. All seams must be carefully sealed.
6. During long-term operation, the inner diameter of the pipes decreases, because build-ups form. As a result, the pressure drops significantly.

Not so long ago, pipe manufacturers surprised with a unique production technology. The fact is that steel pipes appeared, coated from the inside with a non-metallic layer that prevents the formation of growths and the formation of corrosion. The outer layer of products remains metal for strength.

Stainless steel pipes

There are no technical flaws in stainless steel pipes. They can be used at a wide range of temperatures, elevated pressures, etc. But such pipes are rarely found because of their only drawback - a very high cost.

Copper pipes

Copper pipes also have excellent corrosion resistance, moreover, their inner surface is less rough than other metal counterparts. For this reason, such pipes have a higher throughput, due to which the copper pipeline can be of a smaller diameter compared to steel.

Copper is distinguished not only by its long service life (copper pipes can last more than fifty years), but also by its disinfectant characteristics - water, in contact with it, is cleansed of harmful microorganisms. Also, copper piping is quite easy and quick to install. In general, copper is the best material for plumbing, because it does not change the taste of water, but rather improves it.

The main disadvantage of copper is its high cost.

Plumbing installation

Due to the light weight and affordable methods of connecting products, installation of a water supply system from HDPE pipes can be done independently, and at the same time save significant financial resources.

A wide range of fitting products will help you easily lay a highway of any configuration and complexity in a short time.

In order for the pipeline to serve for a long time, it is necessary to adhere to several rules during installation:

1. Installation of a HDPE pipe for water supply always begins with drawing up a diagram of a future highway, which will help determine the number of pipes and fittings needed to organize a water supply system.

When transporting HDPE products on their own, it is necessary to exclude damage to pipes on sharp objects, such as nails, metal structures, glass fragments and various cutting tools.

1. When laying pipes in the ground, it is necessary to prepare a cushion of sand at least 10.0 cm thick before laying the products. Fine gravel will work too. The cushion is necessary to prevent damage to the pipes by sharp stones or objects that may be under the pipe. The poured pillow must be well tamped.
2. HDPE pipes for hot water supply or cold water transportation are laid on the pillow so that the joints are slightly sunk into the sand.
3. When installing polyethylene pipes, two types of connections are used:
   • one-piece, which is performed using special welding equipment. The most commonly used method is butt welding and with the use of electric couplings. This connection method is mainly used for large diameter pressure systems.
   • detachable connections, which are obtained through the use of socket or flange fittings with elastic seals. This method is used for pipelines operating without pressure. Ideal for small diameter pipes (up to 35.0 mm). In addition, this connection method does not require special tools.

Connecting pipes with fittings

1. When installing the line, very often situations arise when it is necessary to slightly bend the pipe. In hot weather, it is enough to heat it in the sun and bend it to the required angle. In the cold season, you need to heat the product with boiling water or a building hair dryer.

It should be borne in mind that if the pipe is not heated enough, then when bent, it can simply break. With excessive heating, polyethylene can ignite, which will also lead to a violation of the structure of the product and, as a result, to a decrease in strength.

Thus, a water supply system from HDPE pipes, laid independently, is guaranteed to provide the necessary object or area with hot or cold water. Work does not cause difficulties even for beginners. An efficient water supply system will be laid in a short time.