HDD and HDPE: The Perfect Match

ASTM F1962 – 22

Standard Guide for Use of Maxi-Horizontal Directional Drilling for Placement of Polyethylene Pipe or Conduit Under Obstacles, Including River Crossing 2022 Issue Now Available (Includes PE4710 Material) For Water and Other Applications

BY DR. LAWRENCE M. SLAVIN outside

ASTM F1962, Standard Guide for Use of MaxiHorizontal Directional Drilling for Placement of Polyethylene Pipe or Conduit Under Obstacles, Including River Crossings, was originally approved in 1999, following development within the F17.67 Trenchless Technology Subcommittee of the ASTM1, and reissued in 2005 and 2011, and previously reinstated in 2020. The corresponding changes to the document, if any, were minimal, including providing additional or updated references, as well as correcting a typographical error in one of the equations. The most significant reference was to the alternative guidelines TR-46 provided by the Plastics Pipe Institute (which has been superseded by MAB-7 provided by its Municipal Advisory Board), as more appropriate for mini-HDD operations. However, the latest revision of ASTM F1962, approved in 2022, contains a significant change by providing the physical properties for the most recent high density polyethylene (HDPE) material,

PE4710. This material is significantly tougher than older, previously used PE products, facilitating successful completion of more complicated, difficult maxi-HDD projects. The allowable pulling loads are based upon a minimum tensile yield strength of 3,500 psi, with a significant reduction to limit non-recoverable viscoelastic deformation, as well as to account for the effective cumulative load duration on the pipe (assumed to be 12 hours), resulting in a safe pull stress of 1,330 psi.

Its convenient methodology for selecting an appropriate pipe strength (wall-thickness), based on the project characteristics, has led to its increasing popularity and widespread usage within industry. A description of ASTM F1962, and its application, was provided during industry events and conferences, including NO-DIG (Slavin and Petroff, 2010) and ASCE pipelines (Petroff, 2010) conferences in 2010. ASTM F1962 is the only available ASTM standard for horizontal directional drilling.

Overview

The ASTM document provides overall guidelines for a maxi-HDD operation (see Figure 1), addressing preliminary site investigation, safety and environmental considerations, regulations and damage prevention, bore path layout and design, implementation, and inspection and site cleanup. One of the most significant contributions of ASTM F1962 is the provision of a rational, analytical method for selecting the pipe strength based upon the estimated installation loads

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