Table Of ContentFM_chasis book 4/14/14 1:11 PM Page i
FM_chasis book 4/14/14 1:11 PM Page i
Plastics
and
Sustainable Piping
Systems
David A. Chasis
Industrial Press
FM_chasis book 4/14/14 12:05 PM Page ii
A full catalog record for this book will be available
from the Library of Congress
ISBN 978-0-8311-3498-3
Industrial Press, Inc.
32 Haviland Street
South Norwalk, Connecticut 06854
Sponsoring Editor: John Carleo
Interior Text and Cover Design: Janet Romano
Developmental Editor: Robert Weinstein
Copyright © 2014 by Industrial Press Inc., New York.
Printed in the United States of America.
All rights reserved.
This book, or any parts thereof, may not be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
without the permission of the publisher.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents by Topic v
Acknowledgements vii
Preface xi
PART 1 General Plastics xvii
1. Celebrating 100 Years and Going Strong 1
2. Chemicals and Plastics 5
3. The China Study 10
4. Defining Bioplastic Terminology 14
5. The History of North American Plastic Piping Distributors 18
6. Internet...Curse or Blessing for Plastics 24
7. Pearls of Plastic 29
8. Plastic Piping Systems and the Internet 33
9. Plastics and PETA 37
10. Potable Water for a Honduran Village 40
11. PVC Pipe Used for Non-Piping Applications 44
12. Transformation from a Radical to a Rational 48
Environmentalist
13. Vinyl and the Planet of the APES 52
PART 2 General Plastic Piping 57
14. Advantages of Flexible Grooved-Coupled Plastic Piping 61
Systems
15. The Evolution of Pipe 68
16. Fairy Tale or Reality 72
17. How to Select the Proper Thermoplastic Industrial Piping 77
Material
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18. The Ideal Pipe 85
19. Joining Thermoplastic Industrial Piping Systems 89
20. Join The Revolution...Think Plastics 98
21. Life Cycle Assessment and Plastic Piping 107
22. Light Bulbs and Pipe 111
23. Plastic Piping in Industrial Applications 115
24. Plastic Piping Systems...Here’s to Your Health 120
25. Plastics Learn Their Role in Plumbing System Design 123
26. The Real Green Piping Systems 140
27. Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Plastic Piping 144
28. Similarities of Plastic Tape and Pipe 149
29. Sustainability and Plastic Pipe 152
30. Sustainable Piping Systems for Green Building 156
31. Think Plastics: Thermoplastic Piping Gaining 195
Industry Acceptance
32. Trenchless Piping and Plastics 205
33. Why Plastic Piping 209
PART 3 Plastic Materials and Products 215
34. ABS...The Other Piping Material 217
35. CPVC Piping Systems 223
36. Environmentally Sound Piping Systems 229
37. Facts Regarding PVC Piping and the Environment 237
38. Homeowners Embrace PEX for Hot and Cold-Water 246
Distribution
39. Plastic Piping System Fabrications 252
40. PVC...Pipe’s Most Versatile Material 258
41. Recycling PVC Piping Systems 267
42. Super Pipe 271
43. Thermoplastic Flanges 278
44. The Ultimate Piping Material 283
45. Why PVC Piping Systems? 288
46. Why Specify Plastic Valves? 292
Conclusion 299
Index 301
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Table of Contents by Topic
Reading
Number
Plastic Piping Material
34. ABS...The Other Piping Material 217
35. CPVC Piping Systems 223
38. Homeowners Embrace PEX for Hot and Cold-Water 246
Distribution
40. PVC…Pipe’s Most Versatile Material 258
11. PVC Pipe Used for Non-Piping Applications 44
41. Recycling PVC Piping Systems 267
42. Super Pipe 271
44. The Ultimate Piping Material 283
45. Why PVC Piping Systems? 288
Plastic Piping Products
14. Advantages of Flexible Groove-Coupled Plastic 61
Piping Systems
36. Environmentally Sound Piping Systems 229
19. Joining Thermoplastic Industrial Piping Systems 89
39. Plastic Piping System Fabrications 252
43. Thermoplastic Flanges 278
33. Why Plastic Piping? 209
46. Why Plastic Valves? 292
Sustainability
4. Defining Bioplastic Terminology 14
16. Fairy Tale or Reality 72
18. The Ideal Pipe 85
20. Join the Revolution...Think Plastics 98
21. Life Cycle Assessment and Plastic Piping 107
10. Potable Water for a Honduran Village 40
v
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Reading
Number
26. The Real Green Piping Systems 140
29. Sustainability and Plastic Pipe 152
30. Sustainable Piping Systems for Green Building 156
32. Trenchless Piping and Plastics 205
History
1. Celebrating 100 Years and Going Strong 1
15. The Evolution of Pipe 68
5. The History of North American Plastic Piping 18
Distributors
28. Similarities of Plastic Tape and Pipe 149
Information Sources
6. Internet…Curse or Blessing for Plastics 24
8. Plastic Piping Systems and the Internet 33
17. How to Select the Proper Thermoplastic Industrial 77
Piping Material
25. Plastics Learn Their Role in Plumbing System Design 123
23. Plastic Piping in Industrial Applications 115
31. Think Plastics: Thermoplastic Piping Gaining Industry 195
Acceptance
Environmental Issues
2. Chemicals and Plastics 5
3. The China Study 10
37. Facts Regarding PVC Piping and the Environment 237
22. Light Bulbs and Pipe 111
7. Pearls of Plastic 29
24. Plastic Piping Systems...Here’s to Your Health 120
9. Plastics and PETA 37
27. Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Plastic Piping 144
12. Transformation From a Radical to a Rational 48
Environmentalist
13. Vinyl and the Planet of the APES 52
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Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge and thank two industry
associations who have been critical in the birth of this pub-
lication: International Association of Plastic Distribution
(IAPD) and Plastic Pipe and FittingsAssociation (PPFA).
The IAPD is an international association established in
1956 comprised of plastic industry distributors and compa-
nies.Theirwell-knownpublication,IAPDMagazine,isabi-
monthly journal which has been a positive force in educat-
ing distributors, engineers, installers, and end-users to the
featuresand benefitsofplastics. Many ofthepublishedarti-
cles appearing in the book were first printed in the IAPD
Magazine as noted. I would like to thank IAPD for giving
me permission to include these articles in the publication.
Please go to www.iapd.org website for more information on
IAPD.
PPFA, an association in which Iamamemberand acon-
sultant, has been very generous and helpful by being a
source of information for many of the articles and photo-
graphs appearing in the book. Many of the article drafts
have been peered reviewed and greatly improved by the
input of PPFA members. There is no association in North
America that has done more in getting plastic piping sys-
tems accepted and approved in residential and commercial
building codes than PPFA. PPFA is also a stalwart force in
promoting and defending theuse of allthermoplasticpiping
in the United States and Canada. Please go to www.ppfa-
home.org website for more information on PPFA.
The article “Plastics Learn Their Roles in Plumbing
System Design” has been published in the American
vii
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Society of Plumbing Engineers’(ASPE) journal Plumbing
Systems and Design (journal has since been renamed:
Plumbing Engineer). ASPE has granted permission to
reprint the article in the book. Also, the article “Think
Plastics: Thermoplastic Piping Gaining Industry
Acceptance” was published in the Valve Manufacturers
Association’s (VMA) journal, Valve Magazine. The VMA
has granted permission to reprint the article in the book. My
thanks to both of these well-recognized and influential pro-
fessional associations.
The author would also like to recognize the many com-
panies whose associates have been very helpful in contribut-
ing photographs and copy edits for many of the included
articles. The companies are:
• Aquatherm, Inc.
• Arkema, Inc.
• Asahi-America, Inc.
• Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company
• Chasis Consulting, Inc.
• George Fischer LLC
• George Fischer Harvel
• Hayward Flow Control Systems
• Indelco Plastics Corporation
• IPEX Industrial Systems
• IPS Corporation
• JM Eagle Corporation
• Kaneka Texas Corporation
• LASCO Fittings, Inc.
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• Lubrizol Corporation
• Mueller Industries, Inc.
• NIBCO INC.
• Oatey Company
• Rocky Mountain Colby Pipe Company
• Shintech, Inc.
• Uponor
• Victaulic Company
• Wavin N.V.
• Zurn Industries
Much gratitude goes to proof readers, Word savants, and
editors, Adrienne Travis, Arvis Green, and Robert
Weinstein. I would also like to recognize the many creative
and insightful contributions of Janet Romano and John
Carleo of Industrial Press, Inc. Thanks also goes to the
book’s marketing strategists Christine Ott and Lisa Flournoy
Richardson. The input of this team of talented professionals
most definitely improved the format, grammatical correct-
ness, and clarity of the presented articles as well as helped
create a larger audience and more user friendly publication.
But please note that any error that may appear in this publi-
cation solely rests with the author.
Last, I am greatly indebted to many of the pioneers in
the plastic piping industry—especially my late and close
friend, Dennis Garber, who was the most passionate person
I have ever known regarding the wonders of plastic piping.
He was one of the first plastic piping zealots.
ix
