That is the question isn’t it? If I am designing a new storm water system, what are my options? To date, there have been only two real options for drainage pipe.
One is concrete pipe, known colloquially as RCP (Reinforced Concrete Pipe). This is a rigid pipe system. I often say, it’s an underground horizontal structure. RCP has two main components. A dry cast concrete mix design is one. A steel cage that adds reinforcement to the concrete is the other. This steel reinforcement greatly enhances the structural integrity of the pipe.
The other is flexible pipe systems. Unlike RCP, Flexible Pipe. as it is known, has a form of plastic as its main component, with outer corrugations being the other. These corrugations allow compacted soil to fill the voids between the corrugations. The envelope of soil then becomes the strength, or structural integrity, of the pipe. This pipe flexes as the soil does. In some areas that is a significant plus.
My entrance into the Water Works industry began at Macon Water Authority, originally know as Macon-Bibb County Water & Sewerage Authority. That was a mouthful to say when you answered the phone. Macon is a rigid pipe system, built using cast iron pipe and later on, ductile iron pipe. Some would say that DIP is also a flexible pipe in that it will bend or egg shape under certain circumstances. I would disagree and say that it is a semi-rigid pipe whose strengths and characteristics perform as a rigid pipe.
In another segment, we will talk about other forms of semi-rigid pipe that are available for use as storm drainage material. For now, I want to leave you with this awareness. The basic choice for storm water material construction boils down to two basic categories. Rigid pipe versus flexible pipe. That is the question.
Which one will you choose? If you you have questions, contact me and let’s start that discussion.
~ Wayne Atkinson
Wayne Atkinson, Inc. 