Hydraulic Field and Lab Testing of PVC Pipe

Knowing the accurate hydraulic friction factor of a pipe is important to properly understand and design various aspects of a pressure or gravity pipeline project, such as pipe size, flow velocity, and pump size. To aid in determining values that should be used for design of PVC pipe, hydraulic laboratory testing on new PVC pipe has been performed, as well as field C-Factor testing on a 40-year-old PVC water main. This paper will provide the findings of the laboratory and field tests, and it will present how hydraulic factors, such as C-Factors, vary with Reynold’s number and pipe age. This paper will also discuss the pros and cons of performing laboratory and field hydraulic tests, along with how these test results coincide with current industry recommended values.