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INSTRUCTOR: 
Mark Peterson, P.E.

Purpose and Background

Design of pressure pipes for water systems and force mains requires careful selection of the appropriate material. Not all pipe materials are acceptable for all systems. This course will provide guidance on the materials commonly used for pressure systems including PVC, ductile iron, HDPE and steel. It will also cover evaluation of transients (water hammer) and design of appropriate joint restraints to resist thrust forces at fittings.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the advantages and disadvantage of the common material options for pressure pipes, including PVC, ductile iron, HDPE and steel
• Explain how pressure ratings are determined for the various materials
• Recognize the forces in pressure pipes and at bends and other fittings, including working pressure and transient (water hammer) forces
• Demonstrate how transients are calculated and modeled
• Explain how transients can be limited by design, operation and various devices
• Explain how thrust blocks and restrained joints resist the thrust forces
• Size thrust blocks and restrained joint lengths

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-test assessment (true-false, multiple choice, and/or fill in the blank questions).

Who Should Attend?

This course is for anyone involved in the design or review of systems where pressure pipes are used, including water systems and sanitary and storm sewer force mains.

This course is intended for design engineers, system managers and regulatory officials.

Outline

DAY 1

• Specifications, material properties and pressure ratings for DI, PVC, HDPE and steel pipes
• Joint options for pressure pipes and when to use each one
• Friction factors and nominal vs. actual diameters
• Minimum and maximum cover for pipes
• Causes of transients

DAY 2

• Speed of transient wave and magnitude of pressures
• Responses of different pipe materials to transients and mitigation of transients
• Soil parameters for thrust restraint
• Sizing thrust blocks
• Calculation of thrust restraint lengths
• Devices for restraining various pipe options

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs

This course is worth 1.4 CEUs /14 PDHs. To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 30 days of the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]