Seismic and Concurrent Load Design Criteria for Buried High Density Polyethylene Pipe in ASME BPVC Section III, Division 1, Applications: Part I — Piping Design Basis Criteria

The commercial Light Water Reactors operating within the United States have been in service from about 20 to 35 years. These plants include buried Service Water piping systems primarily made from low carbon steel. This piping has been subject to aging over the years, resulting in degradation and corrosion that will require replacement of the piping. Due to the advantageous cost and durability of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) piping (as demonstrated in other commercial industries), ASME code inclusion of this piping is logical. Duke Power industry has expressed interest in replacing a portion of their steel buried Service Water Piping in Nuclear Power Stations with HDPE pipe. To assist in this effort EPRI has funded and supported the work summarized in this paper to develop design criteria for HPDE Pipe and has teamed with EPRI to develop appropriate ASME Code requirements. Other nuclear utilities will follow once HDPE piping is included in the ASME Code. This paper includes proposed allowable limits of all modes of failure and provides design criteria for HDPE pipe made from PE 3408 resin. It also provides the technical basis for the proposed criteria. This paper deals primarily with the actual design of the piping. The methods included comply with ASME Power Piping Code, B31.1-2004 and Section III of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Extensive use was made of industrial research, data and experience over 40 years of use of high-density polyethylene piping. Allowable stresses are based on data published in these sources for Design and Service Levels A-D.