Lu, Burn, Whittle
Additional Information - Posters # 1998 Gothenburg
For rubber ring joints to resist plant root penetration, it has been reported and promulgated into Australian Standards that a sufficiently high contact pressure between the rubber and the pipe must be maintained. The evaluation of the appropriate interfacial pressure to be used has been under discussion for some time and different values have been used in different standards. This matter has been the subject of considerable controversy, and decisions on the interface pressure used will affect the performance and ease of insertion of a rubber ring joint. This paper reports and discusses previous and current research on root penetration into elastomeric joints, the existing test requirements of elastomeric pipe joints for resisting root penetration given in Australian and overseas standards, and the inconsistencies across the different pipe material types. The initial interface sealing pressures for commonly used PVC, VC and FRC joints were assessed and these are discussed in light of the ongoing accelerated root intrusion tests performed in Black Hill Flora Centre in Adelaide.
