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Plastic Encasement 101 Reducing installation / maintenance expenses and increasing return on investment is important to every company. The ever increasing expense of material used in the Natural Gas industry demands that new ideas be researched and developed. These new ideas must promote system integrity while reducing installation and maintenance expenses. Continuing to do the same old thing, the same old way, brings the same old result. Plastic pipe has revolutionized the natural gas industry. Since its development for natural gas distribution, PE pipe has gained widespread acceptance from utility owners, government agencies, and the consumers. A new horizon has developed for PE Plastic pipe with its use as a casing pipe for roadway crossing. Dave Thomas of Eagle 1 Resources in Auburn, Alabama, a Strategic Planning and Subsurface Utility Consulting firm, has developed a concept of Improved System for Piping under Roadways. The potential applications of this installation will reduce the utility owner’s initial capital investment by 30% to 70% vs. steel encasement. This system will also reduce the utility company’s long-term maintenance expenses and provide future replacement options. Replacements for system growth and/or system integrity issues can be completed with minimal capital investment. This information has been presented to the State Highway Department Utility Divisions for the Continental 48 states to receive input and comments. The comments received to date have been overwhelmingly favorable. Several Public Service Commission offices (which regulate the rates charged by the utility owners) have reviewed this application and have commented that PE encasement amounts to rate relief for the utility customers. The United States Department of Transportation invests a large amount of money in roadway projects each year and reducing projects expenses by $484 million per year would have a major impact on funding future roadway projects nationwide. On Labor Day – September 6 2010, President Obama proposed an investment of $50 billion in our transportation infrastructure and the president plans to rebuild 150,000 miles of roadway. If one plastic encasement was installed with water / sewer / natural gas relocation work for each mile of repaired roadway infrastructure, the cost savings would amount to over $3 billion in material / installation cost savings alone. After factoring in reductions in CO2 emissions, reduced worker accidents in highway work zones, and additional job creation, the potential benefit of the plastic encasement procedure could be greater than $12 billion. A significant amount of new roadway could be constructed with this $12 billion in additional resources.
Tracer Wire installed in this manner is a failure waiting to happen. |
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Plastic Encasements are recommended for installation under all roadway crossings. PE plastic pipe is acceptable for all below ground locations due to the non-corrosive material installed and the strength characteristics of the PE plastic pipe. The design of the PE Plastic Encasement installations increase public safety and promote reduced maintenance issues for both the federal / state agencies and the utility owners. The picture on the right is an actual field picture and demonstrates what we are attempting to stop.