The gravity pipe industry is, and will continue to be, a specifications-driven industry. It will be based on advances in scientific knowledge and the application of that science by engineers. With globalization quickly engulfing our economy and subsequently our industry, projecting what the industry may be like even ten years from now, is a challenge.
Specifications written for sanitary and storm sewers, as well as storm water management projects, are the bread and butter of the gravity pipe industry. The concrete pipe industry and its competitors respond to specifications, presented by contractors and engineers, with a wide range of products and manufacturers’ performance claims. The choice of materials generally includes concrete, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and corrugated metal. Others on the market include fiberglass, clay, and emerging materials entering the Canadian markets from abroad. I foresee a period of intense research and development to produce stronger concrete pipe and boxes with less steel. Flexible pipe are installation sensitive. For example, it is becoming clear that HDPE conduits are certainly easy to install - incorrectly, and this leads to poor performance.
Over the next ten years, climate change and extreme weather patterns will continue to shape the development and redevelopment of cities and major urban megalopolises. Hydraulic regimes of watersheds are changing, and some regions are becoming either arid or plagued by flooding. Controlling storm water and preserving it for household or industrial use will intensify. Precast concrete pipe and boxes will be increasingly in demand for underground storage tanks, and some products will be improved for recharging aquifers. In ten years, demand for larger sized precast concrete products may affect regulations for transporting such products and the design of delivery vehicles.
Public focus on everything and anything environmental will also impact our industry. The next ten years will see a stepped up pace in changing regulations and standards related to sustainable development. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) - rated projects will extend to large tracts of private and public sector developments, placing concrete pipe and boxes in an arena of competition that may not necessarily be driven by standard specifications. Contractors and design engineers will have to select products based on points and not solely matching service life to design life or demonstrating long-term performance.
Do you believe that specifications can continue to drive the buried infrastructure industry?