Rusty Gibson Explains New Pipeline Standard in Journal AWWA
Freese and Nichols Senior Consultant Rusty Gibson, a broadly experienced water conveyance authority, has written in the Journal AWWA November issue explaining a new concrete pressure pipe standard expected to be published in early 2025.
The standard has been developed by the American Water Works Association’s Concrete Pressure Pipe Installation Standards Subcommittee, which Rusty chairs.
As he writes in “Building Sustainable Pipelines With a New Standard for Concrete Pressure Pipe Installation”:
“… the goal was to reduce the number of installation defects, so the subcommittee used a failure mitigation approach to identify common failure mechanisms for CPP installation, along with countermeasures to prevent them. By mitigating failure modes, the pipeline will be more reliable and sustainable, and it will have a much longer service life.”
The standard is part of AWWA’s work with the American National Standards Institute to improve quality and consistency across the water industry through guidelines for design, manufacture and construction of water pipelines and facilities.
Rusty writes:
“AWWA standards represent a consensus of the water supply industry that a product meeting the requirements of a particular standard will provide satisfactory service for ordinary projects. The standards are meant to provide the minimum requirements, and users are responsible for determining whether these minimum requirements are suitable for their specific projects. Along these lines, the new concrete pipe installation standard addresses common issues, and users are responsible for addressing the specifics of their projects. Users should also provide drawings and specifications for a comprehensive description of their project requirements. …
“… AWWA’s new installation standard for CPP, developed with a consensus approach, will provide comprehensive guidance for typical projects to prevent pipeline failures. Users of the forthcoming standard have a responsibility to follow the instructions in the ‘Purchaser Options and Alternatives’ section and should verify that the minimum standards presented are suitable for a project’s design criteria. Users should also address any special design requirements that are not addressed by the new standard.”
An engineer with 40 years of experience, Rusty has had roles at Freese and Nichols including Lead Technical Professional and Practice Leader for water/wastewater transmission and utilities, and he has long served as a subject-matter expert for professional organizations.
Read the full article at Journal AWWA (AWWA login required):
Building Sustainable Pipelines With a New Standard for Concrete Pressure Pipe Installation