Plastic pipe dataaround Europe

Organisers of PPXXII released a selection of latest developments to be presented during the plastic pipe Conference & Exhibition in Poland later this year. Hosted by the Plastic Pipes Conference Association (PPCA), this international event will be held at the Hilton Warsaw Hotel, Poland, over 15-17 September 2025.

Sarah Patterson, Co-Chair of the Organising Committee/Technical Program Chair, comments: ¨Our program comprises 98 presentations delivered by expert speakers to an audience of delegates from over 40 countries. ¨

¨R & D and the need for quality infrastructure continues to drive growth in an industry that typically invests a significant share of its turnover in innovation. Worldwide turnover of plastic pipe systems is expected to reach almost USD 100 billion by the end of the current year (The Plastic Pipes & Fittings Global Market Report 2025). ¨

Patterson emphasises that the highlights below only constitute a selection. Conference speakers will announce further technical and business advances during the event.

Lifetime of plastic pipes – well above 100 years

Scientific Life Cycle Assessments on a wide variety of plastic pipe systems have indicated an expected service lifetime of at least 100 years. Professor Gerald Pinter (Montanuniversität Leoben – AUSTRIA) will review a recent meta-study commissioned by TEPPFA that actually points towards an expected lifetime of well above 100 years. This study was carried out on pressure and non-pressure pipes made from polyethylene, polypropylene, and unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (PVC-U). Pinter points out that this new lifetime assessment holds true when all steps in the process of design, manufacturing, trenching, and operating conditions follow current EN and ISO standards for pipes, fittings and valves and installation of the plastic pipe systems.

Beyond hoops – Axisymmetric Stress in Pipe Joints

Whereas the hoop stress theory may be adequate for assessing the mechanical behaviour of a straight pipe, the same cannot be said for a pipe joint. Guido Quesada (HULTEC – COSTA RICA) will present that special design considerations are required to ensure joint integrity. His review of axisymmetric stress in commonly used pipe joints, including restraining and non-restraining systems or gaskets, will demonstrate how such an approach is illustrative of why going beyond hoop stress is important and why it is useful for pipe design purposes.

Making world´s largest diameter PVC-U water pipe

In China, urbanisation and the need for sustainable water management, continue to prompt the replacement of conventional piping materials, such as steel with PVC-U systems. Chelsea Qin (Shanghai Jurry Plastics Machinery Co., Ltd. – CHINA) will report on the introduction of the world’s largest PVC-U pipe extrusion line with a production capability of OD 2000mm – including an online socketing system.

European Drinking Water Directive – preparing industry for impending regulation

Since the 1980s, European standardisation of plastic pipe systems has been achieved with the exception of the hygienic requirements for products in contact with drinking water. Peter Sejersen, (The European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association (TEPPFA) – BELGIUM) will explain that a multitude of different national requirements exist and that the clock is ticking before the revision of the European Drinking Water Directive comes into force on 1 January 2027. Sejersen will review the status of impending regulation, the transition period and the content of the guidance documents. He will also address industry challenges and measures taken by TEPPFA to mitigate them.

New Catalyst system for defossilisation of PEX & PE-RT pipe resins and recycling

PEX and PE-RT pipes are widely used inside buildings and are energy efficient for applications such as wall or floor heating in combination with heat pumps. Holger Bruening (Basell Polyolefine GmbH – LyondellBasell – GERMANY) will propose a more sustainable method that contributes further to the entire life cycle carbon footprint of the pipe systems. This catalyst system has been tested successfully for the efficient depolymerisation of plastic waste, including PEX and multilayer pipes.

Study confirms resiliency of drainage pipes

Corrugated HDPE and PP pipe for gravity flow culverts is a growing trend in the USA as the need for more resilient stormwater infrastructure increases. The Ohio University and the University of Minnesota Duluth have completed a study investigating the behaviour of such pipe systems under shallow cover under heavy loads at elevated temperatures. Joseph Babcanec (Advanced Drainage Systems – USA) will report and discuss best installation practices and design guidelines for plastic pipes exposed to wildfire events.

Registration and further information

The plastic pipe conference typically attracts about 400 delegates. Registration for PPXXII participants is now open and those wishing to attend are reminded that early bird registration may be completed online before 1 May 2025 via: https://ppxxii.com/registration-info/

Further information, online registration, sponsorship and exhibition information available via: https://ppxxii.com/
(ENDS)

Note to Editors: PPCA conferences are self-financing and any profits from one event are reinvested in future conferences, educational tools or “spin-off” events Further information: Peter Balassa (Evacon) at [email protected] Tel.: + 36-30-513-0255

Download the pdf to view the original press release.

 

Posted on 17th February 2025

---

Share this Article

---