Welcome to John’s Blog. Answers to frequently asked questions are periodically posted here. The objective is to share information about PVC pipe with readers as well as with utilities, design engineers and pipe installers. The blog provides the latest information on PVC pipe design, installation, and application for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
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John Houle: Senior Technical Consultant, PVC Pipe Industry
John Houle holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri and an MBA from the University of Oregon. He has more than 25 years of experience in the plastic pipe industry in applications engineering, market development, forensic analysis, technical writing, and standards development.
In piping systems, “permeation” is the movement of chemicals through a pipe wall or a gasketed joint. For potable water pipe, permeation is important because there may be adverse effects on the fluid inside the pipe. Starting in the 1970s, there has been a significant amount of research on permeation. This Tech Brief looks at some of that research, discussing permeation in PVC pipe, in HDPE pipe, and in gasket materials used for PVC pipe joints. Since gasoline is a common contaminant that comes into contact with municipal pressure pipe, there is special emphasis on gasoline permeation. PVC pipe is well-suited for gasoline-contaminated soils. In contrast, HDPE is not suitable for piping projects where contamination currently exists or may exist in the future. Click here for my Tech Brief on this subject.
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