ADS HDPE Gets 100-Year Approval

Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. (ADS), a leading worldwide manufacturer of HDPE pipe, is the first and only HDPE manufacturer in the underground drainage industry to receive a 100-year service life approval for its revolutionary N-12(R) corrugated HDPE pipe, according to an ADS press release.

The designation, given by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), approves N-12 pipe for use in most FDOT applications. Utilizing the most extensive testing protocol in the pipe industry, FDOT granted approval for 18- to 48-in. ADS N-12 pipe under the “Class II” 100-year service life designation.

“The test results in Florida prove there is an increasing level of confidence in the use and performance of HDPE pipe,” said ADS chairman and CEO Joe Chlapaty. “Our goal is to deliver a product that will still be in the ground for generations to come and performing its intended purpose. We’ve always been confident that our products will last forever, and these tests simply serve as additional evidence to that fact. As with all ADS products, our customers can be assured that our HDPE pipe is providing a high-quality, value-enhanced solution to meet their underground drainage needs.”

ADS’s N-12 HDPE pipe is a world standard for corrugated polyethylene drainage pipe. Introduced in 1987, N-12 dual wall pipe, with its smooth interior wall and corrugated exterior wall, offers exceptional hydraulics and strength. Built using application specific high-density polyethylene, N-12 corrugated pipe also provides superior corrosion and abrasion resistance making it an excellent alternative to reinforced concrete and corrugated metal pipe.

To determine the expected service life of the corrugated HDPE drainage pipe, FDOT adopted a test protocol specification that is the most stringent and comprehensive in the pipe industry, the release said. 

Incorporating projected long-term buried stress and environmental conditions, the test protocol utilizes the Rate Process Method (RPM) and Oxidation Induction Time (OIT) testing to measure stress crack resistance and product durability. These methods are well-established and widely used in the pressure pipe industry as a means to predict the long-term performance of thermoplastic pipe.

Introduced in 1987, N-12 smooth interior dual wall pipe meets strict quality control from raw materials to production — conforming to ASTM and AASHTO standards — and is specified nationwide in storm and sanitary sewers, agricultural drainage, road and highway construction, residential and commercial development as well as turf and recreational applications.

Founded in 1966, ADS serves the storm water drainage and onsite industry through a global network of 42 domestic and international manufacturing plants and more than 30 distribution centers. For more information about ADS, visit www.ads-pipe.com.