PVC has a long and successful history as water and sewer pipe. It is:

• Durable
• Corrosion resistant
• Resistant to chemicals
• Strong
• Inexpensive
• Familiar

Traditional PVC pipe is joined by push on mechanical joints (bell and spigot) that seal via an embedded elastomeric gasket. Installation error, certain soil conditions and poor design can result in mechanical joint leakage. Additionally, new money saving "trenchless" installation methods such as horizontal directional drilling (HDD), sliplining and pipe bursting have become standard installation techniques that cannot be used with traditional bell and spigot PVC pipe.

Fusible C-900®, Fusible C-905® and Fusible PVC™ pipes from UGSI are the only fusible polyvinyl chloride pressure pipes on the market, and they are the only PVC pipes that have a joint as strong as the pipe. Fusible C-900®, Fusible C-905® and FPVC® are stronger, less costly, and easier to work with than HDPE in trenchless applications.

Trenchless installation practitioners have been reliant on another thermoplastic pipe - high density polyethylene (HDPE) due to the inability of bell and spigot PVC (and ductile iron) pipe to be used in these cost saving installation techniques.

Underground Solutions developed Fusible PVC™ pipe with its patent-pending formulation and patented fusion process to have all the best characteristics of classic PVC, plus fusibility - for use in both trenchless and traditional "open-cut" projects.

Fusible C-900®, Fusible C-905® and FPVC® are NSF-61 and NSF-14 certified. They have been extensively tested by UGSI, and by leading independent laboratories which have comprehensive experience in plastic pipe testing. Fusible C-900®, Fusible C-905® and FPVC® have successfully passed all relevant tests and exceed industry requirements in many cases.

Butt-fusion joints with Fusible C-900®, Fusible C-905® and Fusible PVC™ are as strong as the pipe which allows the fused PVC to be pulled in tension in lengths of thousands of feet at a time. Advantages of Fusible PVC™ are:

• PVC is today's most widely utilized pipe material in the United States
• Fusible PVC™ pipe provides a monolithic, fully restrained, gasket free, leak-free piping system
• PVC has superior stiffness (modulus) compared to other plastic pipe which limits long term deformation under soil load
• High tensile strength (ASTM D638) of the fused joint (up to 7000 psi) allows for higher safe pulling stresses and consequently longer installation pull-in lengths
• Low wall thickness for given pressure requirement translates into highest flow per outer diameter (OD) dimension
• Fusible PVC™ has a specific gravity of 1.38 - it will not float in a flooded trench
• PVC material properties have low time dependencies - the properties do not change over time - no pull-in relaxation period for example
• Standard waterworks fittings are used to tap, connect and change direction on Fusible PVC™ pipe systems - eliminating the use of expensive transition fittings or fused-on fittings
• PVC resists hydrocarbon permeation better than other thermoplastic pipe systems (AWWA Research Foundation)
• PVC is more resistant to water disinfectant induced oxidation than other thermoplastic pipe systems
• PVC has been used for over 50 years - owner and contractor familiarity of the pipe is well established

Duraliner™

Although municipalities have been lining sewers and other gravity lines for almost 20 years, until now, there has not been an economical lining alternative for pressure applications. These conventional non-structural liners do not prevent further tuberculation and discoloration; repair leaks or fractures, or add to the structural integrity or pressure capability of the pipeline.

The Underground Solutions Duraliner™ is a patented, close-fit pipeline renewal system creating a stand-alone structural liner. Duraliner™ offers many compelling advantages over conventional liners:

• Eliminates the need for costly trench-digging in many situations.
• Minimizes disruption of transportation and commerce.
• Results in a "stand alone" structural liner that does not depend on structural support from the host pipe.
• Provides system operating pressure.
• The starting stock pipe Conforms to ANSI/AWWA C900 or ANSI/AWWA C905 and NSF 61 Standards for Drinking Water Components/Health Effects.
• Provides an equivalent design life of new PVC pipelines (100 years), which qualifies the rehabilitated pipelines to be capitalized as new assets under the rules of GASB Statement 34.
• Utilizes a fast, economical installation process.
• Uses standard, readily available waterworks fittings for reconnection.

The Duraliner™ system uses 100% PVC pressure pipe (starting stock) with an outside diameter that is smaller than the inside diameter of the existing pipe (host pipe). The starting stock is fused together and inserted into the entire length of the host pipe. Heat and pressure are applied to expand the starting stock tightly against the interior walls of the host.

Duraliner™ is a revolutionary technology.