Hill
# 1998 Gothenburg
It is almost 30 years since BG ple (formerly British Gas) installed the first polyethylene gas distribution pipeline in the United Kingdom. At that time, there was little experience in the failure mechanisms associated with PE materials and therefore the predicted lifetime, although scientifically sound in approach was unproven. As the decades have passed, the question being asked by every gas utility is "what is the remaining life of the PE system?".
This paper reviews the findings of a number of investigations undertaken by BG Technology into the long term integrity of "aged" PE systems.
