The Mechanical Behavior of High-Density Polyethylene under Short-Time Hydraulic Pressure Test

Abstract

This paper provides a synthesis of the results of experimental research and numerical simulations on polyethylene pipes subjected to short-time hydraulic pressure testing. Also, the current paper offers basic information about the engineering behavior of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) under the aforementioned test. HDPE presents high levels of technical performance because it has a high-density resin, high molecular weight, and bimodal Molecular Weight Distribution (MWD). HDPE pressure pipelines are used in Drinking Water Distribution Networks (DWDNs) and are component pieces of the thermoplastic piping system. The experimental test was mainly oriented toward the comparative determinations of the burst pressure of both the defect-free pipes and those with a lack of material defects made through mechanical operations. Also, the experimental test establishes the short-time hydraulic failure pressure as well as the determination of the resistance of the polyethylene pipes to hydraulic pressure in a short time period. The numerical simulations were carried out with the purpose of validating the results obtained analytically and experimentally.

Keywords

• polyethylene pipe
• crack
• defect
• hoop stress
• burst pressure
• mechanical behavior