Low-bidding for buried infrastructure can be shortsighted, dangerous, and costly
By Matt Childs, P.E., President
American Concrete Pipe Association
Some champions of competitive materials are asking why their products are not used more often in pipelines and culverts. The organizations they represent joined forces to change language in legislation to increase the use of flexible pipe products, especially high density polyethylene (HDPE). Tampering with legislation language through the actions of lobbyists and legislators runs the risk of increasing the liability of design engineers and specifiers. Such myopia can result in funding the construction of sewers and culverts that are not resilient and far from being considered as sustainable development (social, economic, and environmental). Taking the engineer out of the material selection process is dangerous and should not be supported.
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