NCHRP Report 429

1 NATIONALCOOPERATIVEHIGHWAYRESEARCHPROGRA MNCHRPR eport 429 HDPE Pipe:Recommended material Specifications and Design RequirementsTransportation Research BoardNational Research CouncilProject Panel D4-24 Field of Materials and ConstructionArea of General MaterialsMICHAEL G. KATONA, Washington State University(Chair)PAUL W. COTTER, California DOTFRED A. FEDOSOFF, National Research Council, CanadaLESTER H. GABRIEL, California State University SacramentoJAMES J. HILL, Minnesota DOTSTANLEY A. MRUK, New Providence, New JerseySAMUEL C. MUSSER, Utah DOTRODNEY G. POWERS, Florida DOTWILLIAM A. SNYDER, New York State DOTPAUL VIRMANI, FHWA Liaison RepresentativeFREDERICK HEJL, TRB Liaison RepresentativeTRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 1999 OFFICERSC hair: Wayne Shackelford, Commissioner, Georgia DOTVice Chair: Martin Wachs, Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California at BerkeleyExecutive Director: Robert E.

2 Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research BoardMEMBERSSHARON D. BANKS, General Manager, AC Transit(Past Chairwoman, 1998)THOMAS F. BARRY, JR., Secretary of Transportation, Florida DOTBRIAN J. L. BERRY, Lloyd Viel Berkner Regental Professor, University of Texas at DallasSARAH C. CAMPBELL,President, TransManagement, Inc., Washington, DCANNE P. CANBY, Secretary of Transportation, Delaware DOTE. DEAN CARLSON, Secretary, Kansas DOTJOANNE F. CASEY, President, Intermodal Association of North America, Greenbelt, MDJOHN W. FISHER, Joseph T. Stuart Professor of Civil Engineering and Director, ATLSS Engineering Research Center, Lehigh UniversityGORMAN GILBERT, Director, Institute for Transportation Research and Education, North Carolina State UniversityDELON HAMPTON, Chair and CEO, Delon Hampton & Associates, Washington, DCLESTER A.

3 HOEL, Hamilton Professor, Civil Engineering, University of VirginiaJAMES L. LAMMIE, Director, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc., New York, NYTHOMAS F. LARWIN, General Manager, San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development BoardBRADLEY L. MALLORY, Secretary of Transportation, Pennsylvania DOTJEFFREY J. McCAIG, President and CEO, Trimac Corporation, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaMARSHALL W. MOORE, Director, North Dakota DOTJEFFREY R. MORELAND, Senior VP, Burlington Northern Santa Fe CorporationSID MORRISON, Secretary of Transportation, Washington State DOTJOHN P. POORMAN, Staff Director, Capital District Transportation CommitteeANDREA RINIKER, Executive Director, Port of Tacoma, Tacoma, WAJOHN M.

4 SAMUELS, VP-Operations Planning & Budget, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, VAJAMES A. WILDING, President and CEO, Metropolitan Washington Airports AuthorityCHARLES H. THOMPSON, Secretary, Wisconsin DOTDAVID N. WORMLEY, Dean of Engineering, Pennsylvania State UniversityMIKE ACOTT, President, National Asphalt Pavement Association (ex officio)JOE N. BALLARD, Chief of Engineers and Commander, Army Corps of Engineers (ex officio)KELLEY S. COYNER, Administrator, Research and Special Programs, (ex officio)MORTIMER L. DOWNEY, Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary, (ex officio)DAVID GARDINER, Assistant Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (ex officio)JANE F.

5 GARVEY, Federal Aviation Administrator, (ex officio)EDWARD R. HAMBERGER, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads (ex officio)CLYDE J. HART, JR., Maritime Administrator, (ex officio)JOHN C. HORSLEY, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (ex officio)GORDON J. LINTON, JAMES M. LOY, Commandant, Coast Guard (ex officio)Federal Transit Administrator, (ex officio)RICARDO MARTINEZ, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, (ex officio)WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transit Association (ex officio)JOLENE M.

6 MOLITORIS, Federal Railroad Administrator, (ex officio)VALENTIN J. RIVA, President and CEO, American Concrete Pavement Association (ex officio)ASHISH K. SEN, Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, (ex officio)GEORGE D. WARRINGTON, President and CEO, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (ex officio)KENNETH R. WYKLE, Federal Highway Administrator, (ex officio)NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAMT ransportation Research Board Executive Committee Subcommittee for NCHRPWAYNE SHACKELFORD, Georgia DOT (Chair)SHARON D. BANKS, AC TransitLESTER A. HOEL, University of VirginiaJOHN C.

7 HORSLEY, American Association of State Highway and TransportationOfficialsROBERT E. SKINNER, JR., Transportation Research BoardMARTIN WACHS, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California atBerkeleyKENNETH R. WYKLE, Federal Highway AdministrationProgram StaffROBERT J. REILLY, Director, Cooperative Research ProgramsCRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Manager, NCHRPDAVID B. BEAL, Senior Program OfficerLLOYD R. CROWTHER, Senior Program OfficerB. RAY DERR, Senior Program OfficerAMIR N. HANNA, Senior Program OfficerEDWARD T. HARRIGAN, Senior Program OfficerTIMOTHY G. HESS, Senior Program OfficerRONALD D.

8 McCREADY, CHARLES W. NIESSNER, Senior Program OfficerSenior Program OfficerEILEEN P. DELANEY, Managing EditorJAMIE FEAR, Associate EditorHILARY FREER, Associate EditorNATIONALCOOPERATIVEHIGHWAYRESEARCH PROGRAMR eport 429 HDPE Pipe:Recommended material Specificationsand Design HSUANG eosynthetic Research InstituteDrexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PAandTIMOTHY J. MCGRATHS impson Gumpertz & Heger EngineersArlington, MASubject AreasPlanning and AdministrationHighway and Facility DesignBridges, Other Structures, and Hydraulics and HydrologySoils, Geology and FoundationsMaterials and ConstructionMaintenanceTRANSPORTATIONRES EARCHBOARDNATIONALRESEARCHCOUNCILNATIONA L ACADEMY PRESSW ashington, 1999 Research Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in Cooperation with the Federal Highway AdministrationNATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAMS ystematic.

9 Well-designed research provides the most effectiveapproach to the solution of many problems facing highwayadministrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of localinterest and can best be studied by highway departmentsindividually or in cooperation with their state universities andothers. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportationdevelops increasingly complex problems of wide interest tohighway authorities. These problems are best studied through acoordinated program of cooperative recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of theAmerican Association of State Highway and TransportationOfficials initiated in 1962 an objective national highway researchprogram employing modern scientific techniques.

10 This program issupported on a continuing basis by funds from participatingmember states of the Association and it receives the full cooperationand support of the Federal Highway Administration, United StatesDepartment of Transportation Research Board of the National ResearchCouncil was requested by the Association to administer the researchprogram because of the Board s recognized objectivity andunderstanding of modern research practices. The Board is uniquelysuited for this purpose as it maintains an extensive committeestructure from which authorities on any highway transportationsubject may be drawn; it possesses avenues of communications andcooperation with federal, state and local governmental agencies,universities, and industry; its relationship to the National ResearchCouncil is an insurance of objectivity.