Now that ASTM F2160 Standard Specification for Solid Wall High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Conduit Based on Controlled Outside Diameter (OD) has been updated, the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) recently highlighted how the changes will affect the industry. According to PPI, the scope of the standard has now been expanded to include more SDR sizes and applications of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) conduit.
ASTM F2160, which is available on the ASTM website, is applicable to coilable HDPE conduit, duct and innerduct for the protection of fiber optic and power cables. It applies to HDPE conduit in IPS types SDR 9, SDR 11, SDR 13.5, DR 15.5, Schedule 40, Schedule 80, “True-sized” and SIDR dimensions. Typical applications include telecom, highway lighting, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA) command and control, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and underground utilities, including wind power and solar energy farms.
"This is a significant update to the controlling ASTM standard used for HDPE conduit," said Lance MacNevin, P. Eng., director of engineering for the Power and Communications Division (PCD) of PPI. "Originally published in 2001, the effort to make these December 2016 revisions to F2160 was led by PPI’s Power & Communications Division. This resulted in significant improvements to the standard such as the addition of SDR sizes and new applications, eleven dimensional tables are now consolidated into four for ease of use, the cell classification descriptions now harmonized with ASTM D3350, improved slow crack growth resistance (ESCR) is required, and there is also the addition of pipe stiffness, compression and recovery requirements."
Additional information can be found on the organization’s website and in the publication, TN-50 Guide to Specifying HDPE Conduit.
