Plastic Pipeline Study
A recent study conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board showed that the use of plastic materials for pipelines and fittings (especially polyethylene polymer) used by the natural gas distribution industry, has increased dramatically since 1965.
The purpose of the study was to determine what effect, if any, plastic materials had on leak reports from 1975-78.
While the board often found the data on such accidents to be insufficient, trends could be identified that would require further investigation. In every category, the rates of failure or damage in plastic pipes were several times greater than those of equivalent steel pipe failures. The Safety Board said that while plastic pipe is more susceptible to leakage than steel, there is no cause for alarm. Plastic is cheaper both to purchase and install, and was used in 73 percent of new system installations in 1978 as compared to 12 percent in 1966.
