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Concrete Pipe - basics
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Concrete Pipe is used in a wide variety of drainage applications.
Concrete drainage pipe is used in residential, commercial and infrastructure applications, primarily for storm water and sanitary sewers.
Reinforced concrete drainage pipe consists of concrete reinforced by a steel cage. This provides the pipe with its own inherent strength which is an advantage over competitive flexible products such as thermoplastic pipe which are more reliant on the backfill placement during the installation process for strength.
There are a wide variety of sizes, shapes and uses of reinforced concrete pipe and there are a number of production methods as a result. Most round pipe is produced using 'packerhead' machines which introduce a relatively dry concrete mixture into metal forms into which the reinforcing steel cage has previously been placed. The machine 'packs' or compresses the concrete around the cage. Generally these machines produce round pipe ranging from 6" to 84" in diameter and up to 12 feet in length. Larger diameter products are produced in a less automated process using a wetter concrete mixture poured into molds.
Other shapes and sizes including elliptical pipe and box culverts are produced with either drycast machines which, similarly to the 'packerhead' machines used to produce round pipe, vibrate and compress a relatively dry concrete mixture around reinforcing steel or through less automated methods.
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