TECTULby IMR

Fluid conduction · PVC pipe

TECHNICAL DATA SHEET

FT-TC-TUB-PVCUM-001

Issue date: July 22, 2026 · Rev. 001

Check the current version

SKU VT-164725 · SDR 32.5 PVC pipe, gasketed mechanical joint (bell) × spigot · 10 diameters 2″–18″

1. Technical specifications

Dimensions and working pressure by diameter (SDR 32.5 series)

¹ Minimum wall derived from the series definition: t = OD / DR = OD / 32.5 (DR = SDR = OD/t, Uni-Bell "Dimension Ratio (DR) Explained", 2020). IPS outside diameters of the ASTM D2241 series. ² Design average ID = OD − 2 × (1.03 · minimum wall), Uni-Bell UNI-TR-6-21 convention, Appendix A; confirm the lot manufacturer's data for as-built hydraulic detail. ³ Working pressure is constant per DR and independent of diameter — calculation basis in section 2. Not a certified rating for any given lot: read the technical notice.

General specifications

2. Calculation basis (RDE/SDR-series working pressure)

Unlike metallic pipe (Barlow's formula on the steel allowable stress), the working pressure of pressure-rated PVC derives from the hydrostatic design stress of the plastic compound. That is why pressure is identical for every diameter of the same SDR. All values used are stated below:

Temperature derating — factors for D2241 PR (Uni-Bell UNI-TR-6-21, Table B.2)

PVC properties are established at 23 °C (73.4 °F). Above that sustained service temperature the working pressure is multiplied by the table factor (interpolate for intermediate temperatures):

At a sustained 38 °C the pipe has already lost 38% of its capacity, and at 60 °C it keeps only 22%. Pressure-rated PVC is not the right material for hot-water lines: evaluate PP-R or CPVC (separate catalog items). The project design temperature governs.

3. Water hammer and pressure-wave celerity

When a valve closes or a pump stops, the velocity change ΔV generates a pressure wave that travels along the line at celerity "a". The instantaneous surge is given by the Joukowsky equation:

Celerity depends on wall stiffness: the lower the material's elastic modulus and the higher the DR, the slower the wave and the lower the surge. Practical form of the celerity equation for pipe (water at ≈22 °C):

Celerity and surge by DR — values published by Uni-Bell (UNI-TR-6-21, Table 1)

Surge values by DR published in Uni-Bell UNI-TR-6-21, Table 1 (Joukowsky); celerity is derived from them via a = ΔP/(ρ·ΔV). Steel row: calculated with the same celerity equation using E = 200,000 MPa and D/t = 60.3/3.91 = 15.4 (SCH 40, ASME B36.10-2022) — matches the formula within 1%. Engineering takeaway: for the same event, SDR 32.5 PVC sees a surge ≈4.6 times lower than steel.

Internal-pressure design checks for PVC (Uni-Bell UNI-TR-6-21): (1) maximum WP ≤ PR × thermal factor; (2) WP + recurring surge ≤ PR × thermal factor; (3) WP + occasional surge ≤ 1.6 × PR × thermal factor; (4) on lines with frequent pump cycles, cyclic life ≥ design life (Folkman equation: N = 10^(−4.196·log σ + 17.76), with σ = stress amplitude in psi). Slow valve closure, variable-speed drives and air valves reduce ΔV and with it the surge.

4. Elastomeric gasketed joint (mechanical joint)

The mechanical joint is a push-on bell-and-spigot joint: the bell carries an elastomeric gasket seated in a factory groove and the beveled spigot is inserted up to the marked insertion line. Sealing comes from gasket compression, not from an adhesive. Standards: the joint per NTC 2295:2008 and ASTM D3139-19(2025); the gasket per NTC 2536:2009 and ASTM F477-14(2021).

Joint assembly

1. Cleaning: remove soil and debris from the bell, the gasket and the spigot with forced air or a clean rag. Do not remove the gasket from its groove to clean it.
2. Lubrication: apply a thin layer (like a coat of paint) of the system lubricant from the bevel to halfway back toward the insertion line, and over the gasket surface. For potable water use only NSF-certified lubricant.
3. Insertion: align pipe and bell straight and insert with bar and block (or mechanical equipment on large diameters) until the insertion line is flush with the bell lip. Do not over-insert: the remaining gap absorbs thermal expansion; without it, pressure transients can crack the bell. Under-insertion leaves the seal incomplete and it leaks.
4. Field cuts: square cut, re-bevel matching the factory bevel and re-mark the insertion line with the bell depth of the lot manufacturer.

Deflection and restraint

Manufacturer installation guides per AWWA C605-21 limit axial joint deflection to ≤1°; larger direction changes are made with fittings. The gasketed joint is not self-restrained: hydraulic thrust at elbows, tees, reducers, caps and valves must be taken by concrete thrust blocks or restrained joints (tested per ASTM F1674).

Why do water mains use gasketed joints instead of solvent cement?

Because the gasketed joint absorbs thermal expansion and small ground movements at every bell, allows repair by segments (a pipe can be pulled and replaced without cutting adhesive bonds), goes into service without waiting for solvent-cement cure times (NTC 576:2021) and better tolerates the pressure transients typical of pumped networks. Solvent-cemented joints remain the choice for smaller diameters and building work — in this catalog, solvent-weld PVC pressure pipe is a separate data sheet.

5. Buried installation and field testing

Trench and bedding (AWWA C605-21, sections 6 and 7; ASTM D2774-21a, section 6)

• Bedding: even trench bottom, free of rocks, stones and clumps that could damage the pipe (AWWA C605-21, §7.4.5). Maximum particle size of embedment material is set by §7.3.
• Haunching and initial backfill: this is a flexible pipe — its external-load capacity depends on lateral soil support. Compact the material under the haunches and the initial backfill from the spring line to above the crown, without displacing the pipe (AWWA C605-21, §7.4.6). The embedment soil class is selected per ASTM D2774-21a, §9 and Table 1.
• Final backfill: free of rocks, clumps and debris that could strike the pipe.
• Depth of cover: determined by earth loads, traffic live loads and surcharges (ASTM D2774-21a, §6.4.2) plus the project's local regulations — in Colombia, the drinking-water sector technical regulation (RAS, Resolución 0330 de 2017). AWWA C605 anti-flotation criterion with an empty line and high water table: cover ≥1.5 diameters (for DRs greater than 32.5, ≥2.0 diameters).
• Do not drop the pipe into the trench: lower it with ropes or slings; inspect each pipe before lowering.

Field hydrostatic test (AWWA C605-21, section 9.3)

• Test pressure (§9.3.5): not less than 1.25 × the anticipated maximum sustained working pressure, measured at the highest elevation of the test section, and not less than 1.5 × that working pressure at the lowest elevation.
• Test ceiling (§9.3.3 and §9.3.5): the test pressure shall not exceed the design pressure/rating of any component in the section — for SDR 32.5 pipe, maximum 125 psi (8.6 bar); nor that of joints, restraints, valves or connected appurtenances.
• Before pressurizing: fill the line slowly and bleed all air at high points (air valves or temporary taps) — entrapped air amplifies transients and invalidates the test.
• Acceptance: per the allowable makeup water defined in AWWA C605-21, section 9, and the project specification.
• Potable service: disinfection and flushing per AWWA C605-21, section 9 ("Preparation for Use"), before commissioning.

6. Application notes

7. Technical notice and limitation of liability