INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF CLAY PIPES

In service, the clay pipe has excellent resistance to abrasion and is unaffected by pipe-cleaning operations, particularly rodding and high-pressure jetting, which may curtail the operational life of other materials.

The potential for damage to blocked pipelines or pipelines undergoing cleaning procedures by water jetting is an issue which has been a cause of considerable concern over recent years.

The facts about the installation and maintenance of clay pipes are that:

• Clay pipes have an unrivalled ability to withstand high pressure jetting, and CPDA Members guarantee pipes against water jetting up to 7500psi
• Most flexible pipe systems are only jettable up to 2600psi
• Research carried out by Rosslyn Research in 1995 identified that
  – most jetting contractors carry equipment capable of jetting at pressures considerably in excess of 2600psi
  – a significant proportion of blockages require pressures in excess of 2600psi to clear them.

Whilst development of a code of practice for jetting contractors has attempted to reduce the risk of a flexible pipeline being penetrated by water jetting processes, it is clear that the use of clay drainage offers considerably enhanced peace of mind in this area.

Useful videos to help you install your clay pipes: