We haven’t met a pipeline yet that doesn’t have some sort of directional change. Any time you have a pipeline going anywhere other than straight you’ll have joints prone to separation if not properly secured. Anywhere in the pipeline, you have bends, curves and other changes in direction you’re going to want a restrained joint pipe and/or restrained gaskets.
The design of your restrained ductile iron pipe system and the type of fittings you will need to combat the forces of hydrostatic thrust will be determined by a multitude of factors your engineering team will assess including:
- Depth of cover
- Pressure
- Size of the pipe including its diameter
- Soil condition
- Installation type
- Type of trench
- The type of directional change at each joint
Flanges
Flanges are flattened rings that will fit at the end of each pipe. Each pipe will have a flange that mates with an equivalent flange from the pipe you are connecting it with. The two pipes may be held together by large bolts, but the standard in the United States is to have flanges threaded or welded onto the pipe. A gasket placed between the faces of the meeting flanges will provide a tight seal.
The flanges you need will be specific to the pipe size and pressure requirements of your project.
Spigot and Socket
This arrangement of pipe fitting involves a spigot inserted into a socket of another pipe or fitting. A gasket will provide the tight seal between the two within the socket. The benefit of using a spigot and socket arrangement is there will be very little compression or tension from forces being transmitted through the pipe. There is no metal on metal contact for the type of pipe joining by design which transmits all passing forces through the gasket seal. Depending on what type of soil is being transmitted through the pipe, it is expected that the gasket will allow some degree of rotation and flexibility to receive stress and tension on the pipes.
