Civils and Utilities

Plastic piping systems are widely used for the transport of water, wastewater, surface water run-off and gas. Applications encompass drainage from domestic properties, water and gas supply, right up to large scale infrastructure and industrial projects. 

Guidance Documents:

Plastics offer many benefits for the construction of new pipelines, storage and attenuation of surface water, rehabilitation of old drains and sewers, and access facilities such as chambers and manholes for maintenance of pipelines.

The inherent properties of plastics are used to provide corrosion resistant, flexible and fully weldable piping systems for gas and water supply. Polyethylene pipes up to 1.2 metres in diameter reliably transport drinking water every day, maintaining water quality right to the customer. The long service life (in excess of 100 years), tolerance to external forces such as traffic loading and ground movement, together with ease of handling and robustness on site add up to a trusted material for civils and infrastructure projects.

Plastics have a lower carbon footprint through their whole life cycle than other materials for pipes. When they reach their end of life as water and sewer pipe systems, they can be recycled meaning they have an important role to play in contributing to the circular economy. 

With more incidents of flooding taking place worldwide, having a robust infrastructure system is essential, which means being able to manage surface water more efficiently than ever before. Infiltration units, attenuation tanks and SuDS systems are increasingly playing their part in addressing the problems associated with rising rainfall levels and run-off from newly developed sites.