Standardization News

A new ASTM International standard aims to improve the integrity of plastic pipes systems by improving joint quality, thereby reducing the risk of water and gas leaks.

“The new standard provides a practice of using non-destructive ultrasonic inspection to detect anomalies within plastic pipe fusion joints,” says ASTM International member Patrick Vibien, Principal Engineer at JANA Corporation. “Specifically, this technique applies to socket or saddle joints used in building water or gas distribution systems.”

According to Vibien, use of electrofusion joints is growing in the gas distribution industry, but it can be difficult to determine if joints have been installed correctly because there are few visual cues that could indicate a potential issue.

The new standard allows joints to be inspected before they are buried. Vibien says the standard is a simple and cost-effective way for operators to inspect for quality.

Local gas and water distribution companies will be the primary users of the standard, which was created by ASTM International’s committee on nondestructive testing (E07) and which will soon be published as E3167/E3167M. “Pipeline operators or installers can adopt and reference this nondestructive inspection standard, potentially implementing it as a construction or repair requirement,” says Vibien.

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