HDPE

Advantages Corrosion & Chemical resistance Abrasion resistance (thick walls) Relatively light weight Flexible No stress cracking Ability to install seamless pipeline Proven technology Non toxic Tough Impact strength Many jointing options Ease of fabrication Proven quality standards

Disadvantages Lack of UV resistance Not suited for suspended applications prone to sag/stretch/shrink Thick walls fusion/weld/melt conditions much more difficult and critical Fittings and connections could be difficult to install underwater Required weighting Creep Not situated for rocky areas

GRP Advantages Lightweight (especially large dia) Corrosion resistance Ease of handling and installation Easy jointing Ease of fabrication Aggressive environments/media Higher pressures (up to PN32) Low co-efficient of friction Low wave celerity

Disadvantages Positively buoyant in water Not resistant to negative pressures without trench preparation Require careful handling Compacted sand backfill around pipe is required for support the pipe from deforming and cracking when negative pressures occur inside or from overburden pressures Proper dewatering of trench excavations required Cannot use as a subsea pipe where there are waves Cannot be laid directly on bedrock without specific bedding preparation. Require concrete thrust blocks when using bell&spigot Subsea GRP pipe needs to be buried Bedding and backfilling construction costs more than that of a continuous jointed pipe such as steel or HDPE

MS PIPE Advantages High strength (245 450 MPa) Can be laid on bedrock No specific and inexpensive bedding and backfilling Many skilled labour available for welding pipes Can be installed as a continuous pipe length Specials pipes such as diffusers can be fabricated Bedding and backfilling construction costs of steel pipes less than that of GRP pipes Can be installed as a subsea pipes at a site having waves Can be installed as a subsea pipe directly on bedrock

Disadvantages Protection against corrosion (need to keep cathodic protection operational for lifespan of pipe) High cost in comparison with other pipe materials Temporary works and construction of steel marine pipelines are more expensive than GRP and HDPE pipe materials Heavy to handle, especially in large (e.g. 1 m diameter) sizes