The application of a pipeline system for transportation of fluids from a single source to multiple destinations has been an age-old concept and dates back to the time of human civilisations organising themselves in large communities.

The making of these pipes has undergone major changes with the discovery of materials such as clay, iron, lead, steel, cement and plastic. Although some of these materials are no longer in use, plastic is now the modern and accepted norm in replacing some of the later materials such as cement and steel.

However in many cases, the pipeline end-users and application specialists have been slow in adapting to this most modern material. This slow adaptation phenomenon is significantly decreasing worldwide but still has a pronounced hold within the Gulf region.

There are many reasons both technical and economic, which no longer justify for such scepticism among the pipeline specifiers and designers. Many users, dictated by their long experience, are familiar with the older forms of materials such as cement and steel. The special grades of uPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chlorides) and PE (polyethylene) materials are relatively new inventions. Hence their superior characteristics, technical advantages and long-term commercial suitability for gravity and pressure applications are yet to be fully absorbed by some of the more traditional users.

In the Gulf, pipeline applications are as diverse as the petrochemical, sewage and water transportation sectors they service. The growth in these end-user industries has spurred an increase in the demand for pipeline manufacturing. Plastic manufacturers in the region have aptly taken advantage of this and the use of uPVC and PE pipes for small diameter gravity and pressure applications in water transportation has already caught on.

However, until recently, the use of large-diameter plastic pipes in sizes of 500 mm to 1,200 mm has been relatively restricted. A lack of suitable local supply is one of the prime reasons for this trend, since many manufacturers concentrated on the easier option: to produce smaller diameters rather than convincingly expanding into the large-diameter sizes.

Naturally enough, large-diameter pipe manufacturing using hi-grade uPVC and PE materials requires specialised expertise and technical ability, which very few manufacturers in the region can emulate. In fact, today, only a handful of plastic manufacturers worldwide can produce pipes in diameters between 630 mm and 1,200 mm using both uPVC and PE materials, with Cosmoplast Industrial Company of Sharjah being the only one in the region able to do so.

Today, the local availability, long-term economic viability and the proven technical performance of large-diameter plastic pipes are now significantly influencing the end users and consultants of the Gulf region to consider them as the superior alternative to cement and steel pipes when it comes to water transportation.

The advantages and suitability of plastic pipes for water transportation networks in this region are based on a variety of criteria. The aggressive effects of desalinated water and the corrosive effects of sewage disposal, attack and reduce the life spans of older and conventional pipe systems such as cement and steel, while leaving uPVC and PE materials untouched.

The build-up of biological detritus on pipes has been of great concern the world over. Due to their rougher internal surfaces, cement and steel pipes are at a higher risk to this factor than those pipe systems with an extremely smooth inner surface such as those made from plastic. The water quality delivered to the customers can be seriously impaired by the pipeline through which it passes: an encrusted, corroded or damaged pipe will disrupt the water flow as well as produce unacceptable sediments and encrustation which can then harbour and propagate bacterial growth.

It is acknowledged that plastic pipes have higher co-efficient of thermal expansion. However, when the pipes are connected over long distances and buried under soil, experience shows that the effects of temperature are overcome and pipes do not expand or contract rapidly due to the overall support provided by the surrounding soil. These pipes are also extremely flexible and thus can absorb major movement - both internal and external - without damage.

It is important to remember the severe damage caused in steel and cement pipes by fluid and atmospheric corrosion. This is particularly severe in the Gulf region due to the increased salinity of the ground water and highly humid atmosphere. PE and uPVC materials have total resistance to corrosion attack thereby providing long and economical life spans well in excess of 50 years for pipeline systems.

One of the major problems caused by corrosion or material deposition is the increase in fluid flow resistance on the inner surface of the pipe. PE and uPVC pipes, with inherent better flow properties and non-corrosive nature, maintain the flow rates of fluids over long periods of time.

One of the major factors in any pipeline system is the loss of water due to leaks. Many of the older concrete and steel systems in use lose an unacceptable high portion of the water entering the system due to such. This is highly inefficient and extremely wasteful. Replacing these old systems with extremely long-lasting plastic pipes will reduce these losses and inefficiencies thus producing significant gains to both users and suppliers.

Moreover, the Gulf region offers a unique challenge of transporting and laying the pipes over a vast area of isolated desert terrain. Choosing heavier cement and steel pipes increases the transportation, handling and installation costs while working in these terrains. The large-diameter plastic pipes made from uPVC or PE materials provide significant advantages for given applications against cement or steel pipes considering the lower transport, handling and installation costs.

Thus in the practical realities of the cost-conscious world, the use of uPVC and HDPE large-diameter pipes with a variety of pressure ratings and suitable jointing technologies will provide the utility providers and water users with peace of mind, knowing that the quantity and quality of the water delivered is up to their expectations and requirements. Cosmoplast Industrial Company - having almost three decades of plastic processing experience behind it - has pioneered the supply of uPVC and PE pipes in diameters of up to 1,200 mm, for various applications. A range of pipes for water applications produced by Cosmoplast has been accredited with the prestigious Kitemark from the British Standards Institute (BSI), for their product quality.

Working closely with consultants and various application development bodies, Cosmoplast has developed innovative processing methods and product design criteria for plastic pipes that will provide a drastically more efficient solution for water transportation in the Gulf region.

It will be only prudent on the part of consultants and end-users to seriously consider plastic pipes for large-diameter applications as today's only option for tomorrow's requirement of highly efficient and economic pipe network.