BETTER THAN STEEL

Fast, Easy Assembly and In-House Installation

The VRS-T® Restrained Joint has many features that contribute to simple, easy assembly. This system significantly decreases the time it takes to assemble the pipeline, resulting in lower installation costs. With minimal training, in-house personnel and equipment can be used to install the pipe and fittings improving the utilization of in-house staff during the summer season. Key employees remain employed, which minimizes turnover and new hiring for the winter season and improving employee retention.

In comparison, steel pipe requires a certified welder and costly related equipment. You’re paying the welder by the hour, even when he is waiting for the trench to be dug, materials transported, or utilities located.

Flexibility

The VRS-T® Restrained Joint provides higher angular deflection than any other system. Angular deflection ranges from 3° - 5° per joint, depending on the size of the pipe. This angular deflection can occur at every joint along the pipeline (every 18 ft.). It’s easy to make horizontal changes to follow trail contours, and vertical changes to follow the topographical features of the terrain. Compared to two lengths of steel pipe (80 ft.), Ductile Iron pipe provides 12° - 20° of angular deflection, without fittings or field cutting.

Life Cycle Cost

The cement mortar lining and polyethylene encasement used with Ductile Iron pipe provides twice the design life of steel pipe. In virtually every case, over the total life of the system, the annual cost required to install a Ductile Iron pipe system will be lower than the annual cost to install a steel pipe system. Even given the higher initial material cost of the DIP system, the DIP system will have a lower annual investment cost.

The life expectancy of a welded steel system is approximately 25 years, while the life expectancy of a Ductile Iron system is approximately 50 years (or longer—more than 600 water utilities in the U.S. have iron pipe in the ground serving continuously for more than 100 years). This type of smart money management frees up capital for other projects.

Example:

	DIP	STEEL
Year 1 Material Cost	$125,000	$100,000
Year 25	$0	$100,000
50 Year Cost	$125,000	$200,000
Annual Cost/Year	$2,500	$4,000

Operational Efficiency

Using Ductile Iron pipe significantly reduces the annual maintenance costs normally associated with aging steel pipe. During the aging process of steel, leaks and blowouts become more frequent, leading to emergency repairs and increased maintenance costs. The blowouts are unpredictable in location and timing, and commonly occur during peak flows and high pressures when ambient temperatures are best for snowmaking. Leaking water impacts the quality of trail surfaces and degrades the production capabilities of your snowmaking system with increased pump and labor hours. As we all know, system downtime is most costly when trail openings are delayed just before weekends or holidays.

Corrosion Protection, Inside and Out

Ductile-Iron pipe is inherently corrosion resistant due to the pipe being annealed during the manufacturing process. The annealing oxide on the outside diameter protects the pipe from most soil types encountered in the U.S. Ductile-Iron has a corrosion resistance that is equal or greater than Cast Iron, which have been in service for more than a 150 years with no external corrosion protection. The asphalt coating on the OD is standard and provides a small amount of protection to the pipe and mainly serves a cosmetic function. If a corrosive environment is suspected, the pipe can be encased with in a loose polyethylene film that is the standard in the American Water Works Industry and is maintenance free after it is installed and buried.

Ductile-iron pipe and fittings are lined with a cement-mortar lining that prevents tuberculation by forming a high pH at the pipe wall and by providing a barrier to the water. Cement-mortar linings are also a standard in the Water Works industry and like the Ductile-Iron pipe are manufactured to American Water Works Association (AWWA) standards. Pipe and fittings used for air applications have the standard Asphalt coating on the OD and ID (no cement-mortar lining) with the sealing surfaces of the spigot and bell coated with PE 70 Epoxy paint to ensure an air tight seal.

Energy Management / Value Engineering

Internal corrosion in steel pipe results in reduced internal diameter (ID) and increased friction loss. As steel pipe ages, friction loss can increase up to 20% or more due to internal scale buildup (tuberculation). This reduces the available operating pressure during high water flows. The topmost sections of the system receive lower water pressures, which impacts snow production and quality. The result is that pumps and motors have to operate on a higher energy level. Consequently, over the life of the piping system, more power is consumed and utility expenses are increased. Ductile Iron pipe is lined with a smooth cement mortar than does not decrease the ID over time. Cement mortar lining has decades of proven performance in both the United States and Europe.

Tuberculation also leads to clogged nozzles in snow guns, resulting in increased maintenance costs and poor efficiency. Consequently, trail coverage time and annual system hours are increased, while snow quality and production are decreased.

Infrastructure Investment

Ski resorts are commodities for investment companies. Every purchase involves an appraisal of infrastructure for buildings, lifts, trails, equipment, snowmaking, roads, real estate, etc. One of the first questions that will be asked during an appraisal: what is the condition of the snowmaking system?

Fire Safety

Assembling the VRS-T® Restrained Joint requires no welding. The absence of high heat and flame result in no chance of fire. Many resorts are on USFS lands and must abide by strict regulations associated with these forests. Every summer we see fire restrictions in the National Forest. Steel pipeline projects that require welding can be shut down due to windy conditions and fire hazard. More importantly, the ignition of a wildfire can lead to catastrophic loss of resort assets.