PE100+ Association is celebrating 20 years of keeping PE pressure pipe at the top of its game this year.
Founded in 1999 the association aims to assure consistent quality at the highest level in the production and application of materials for PE100 pressure pipes,
Member companies of the association offer high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for pressure pipes for gas and water.
Today, it comprises 13 companies from around the world, including China, Korea, Thailand, the Middle East region, as well as Europe.
An advisory committee of non-affiliated independent experts that are active across the pressure pipe value chain supports the Association.
The members have made a voluntary commitment to regular quality checks in cooperation with an independent administrator Kiwa and several other independent test labs across Europe.
Today, not only the pipes, but all the fittings and all the tools used to install pipes are organized to comply with PE100.
At present, there is no uniform resin or pipe requirement for resistance to slow crack performance. The PE100+ Association is acting as a driving force for change, working on development of new and faster accelerated test procedures.
These include a Strain Hardening Test (SHT) originally developed by SABIC and which is now an ISO standard ISO18488.
Furthermore an accelerated version of the FNCT (Full Notch Creep test ISO16770) and an accelerated version of the NPT (Notch Pipe Test ISO13479) was promoted to be used.
The PE100+Association unveiled in 2017 an online “No Dig” technical guide. This identifies the properties, benefits and applications of PE100 in trenchless techniques for use by designers and decision makers, enabling them to decide which methods are applicable to a specific project.
“The PE100+ Association continues to grow and to evolve as it adapts to changes in technologies and markets,” says Hans Pierik, President and Chairman of PE100+ Association, and Business Manager at SABIC.
“I believe we are now an invaluable link in HDPE pressure pipe value chain, all the way through to consumers who demand reliable, consistent and safe delivery of gas and water to their homes. We have come a long way in 20 years, but we still have work to do.”
“We see many opportunities in emerging and developing countries, for example. In China, the new national standard GB/T 13663 for PE piping systems for drinking water applications was released this year, and the PE100+ Association has been very active in the country promoting the benefits of PE100 pre-compounds for pressure pipes, and developing new tools and services for the pipe value chain.”