Among specifiers, DOT/public agency officials and consultants, concrete pipe was rated best among all pipe products on several key criteria, including most durable (87.3 percent), easiest to design or specify (62.1 percent), least flammable (84.1 percent), least installation inspection required (54.5 percent), least installation sensitive (62.1 percent) and “greenest” (34.1 percent).
When asked “If price were not an issue, which pipe would you specify,” 84.6 percent chose concrete pipe. HDPE was preferred by just 9.4 percent.
Contractors were separately asked to rate the various pipe options on three key criteria. Concrete pipe was their overwhelming choice based on longest service life (59.3 percent vs. 16.5 percent for second-ranked HDPE) and least installation sensitive/least dependent on backfill (65.6 percent vs. 12.2 percent for HDPE). PVC pipe (44.0 percent) ranked highest on ease of installation.
“The results confirm what we’ve known for decades, that concrete pipe is a superior drainage product on the most important criteria such as durability, ease of design and service life expectancy,” said Matt Childs, President of the American Concrete Pipe Association. “As with anything, there are always cheaper alternatives; but what might seem less expensive in the short term usually costs you more in the long run when you have to repair or replace it sooner than you expected.”
The survey, which was distributed in November to industry professionals by members of the ACPA, was completed by more than 400 respondents.
For more data and comparative analysis on alternative drainage pipe products, please visit www.concrete-pipe.org.
About the ACPA
The American Concrete Pipe Association (ACPA) is a nonprofit organization composed primarily of manufacturers of concrete pipe and related conveyance products located throughout the United States, Canada and in more than 40 foreign countries. ACPA membership also includes manufacturers of equipment and/or providers of products and services related to the concrete pipe industry. Established in 1907, ACPA (www.concrete-pipe.org) provides members with research, technical and marketing support to promote and advance the use of concrete pipe for drainage and pollution control applications.