Scribd
Upload
51 views2 pages

Mega-Stop Bell Protection System Aids in Pipe Joint Assembly

The document discusses the issue of over-insertion of joints in PVC pipes during installation. Over-insertion occurs when the spigot end is pushed too far into the bell end, past the insertion line marked on the spigot. This can damage the joint and cause leaks over time. While installers are warned not to over-insert joints, it can happen accidentally due to the forces required. A new product called Mega-Stop is introduced that helps prevent over-insertion and allows for easy inspection of proper joint placement.

Uploaded by

Keaten Claney
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
51 views2 pages

Mega-Stop Bell Protection System Aids in Pipe Joint Assembly

The document discusses the issue of over-insertion of joints in PVC pipes during installation. Over-insertion occurs when the spigot end is pushed too far into the bell end, past the insertion line marked on the spigot. This can damage the joint and cause leaks over time. While installers are warned not to over-insert joints, it can happen accidentally due to the forces required. A new product called Mega-Stop is introduced that helps prevent over-insertion and allows for easy inspection of proper joint placement.

Uploaded by

Keaten Claney
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

PV - 4

Mega-Stop Bell Protection System Aids in Pipe Joint Assembly

Water and wastewater piping comes in a wide selection of


materials, joints, and diameters to meet the multitude of
applications and needs in our nations infrastructure. While all of
these piping varieties have multiple benefits none are perfect for
every application. In the US PVC as a piping material has seen
significant growth in use in the last 35 years accounting for twothirds by weight of plastic pipe and almost half of all installed pipe
by length in 2004.

A properly installed joint, and the resulting gap between the end
of the spigot and the back of the bell, provides an allowance for
expansion and contraction caused by temperature changes or soil
movement. This gap also, depending on the manufacturer, permits
some angular deflection of the joint. If the spigot is pushed too
far into the bell (especially so that the end of the spigot is wedged
against the back of the bell) the joint is over-belled or overinserted.

Each of the differing materials and joints has its own set of
benefits and features along with limitations. PVC pipe has seen its
popularity rise because it is so easy to install, will not corrode, and
is relatively inexpensive. The ease of installation has also exposed
one of its few limitations.

Installation instructions for PVC pipe from standard bodies


(AWWA and ASTM), the Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association, and
all of the gasketed PVC pipe manufacturers include admonitions
to avoid over-insertion. The assembly instructions from ANSI/
AWWA C605-05 Underground Installation of Polyvinyl Chloride
(PVC) Pressure Pipe and Fittings for Water include the following
in Section 5.2.2.

Over-Belling of PVC Pipe Joints


Most gasketed PVC pipe joints incorporate a bell end with a
sealing gasket and a spigot end. The pipe is typically assembled
and joined by lubricating the gasket and/or spigot and pushing the
spigot into the gasketed bell until the positioning of the spigot is as
recommended by the manufacturer. This is generally indicated via
a stop-line or insertion-mark on the spigot being positioned at
the end of the pipe bell.

Pipe Spigot ends are pre-marked at the factory with a


circumferential insertion line. The line references how
far the spigot should be inserted into the adjoining PVC
pipe bell. Pipe-to-pipe joints shall be assembled only
to the insertion line. After assembly, the insertion line
shall remain visible and be nearly flush with the lip of the
adjoining PVC pipe bell. Joints assembled beyond the
insertion line shall be considered over-assembled and may
result in damaging stresses or leakage.
The Un-Bell PVC Pipe Association Handbook of PVC Pipe also
includes this in the installation instructions.
Care must be taken to insure that the spigot is not overinserted and that previously assembled pipe joints are not
disturbed.
A number of industry technical papers have made the point that
over-belled joints are the most likely cause when pipe joint failures
occur.

Inspection or verification of proper assembly simply involves the


visual confirmation that the stop line is properly located at the lip of
the pipe bell. (On cut pipe lengths or if the stop line is missing for
another reason it is important to place a stop line on the spigot as
directed by the manufacturer.)

How are Joints Over-Inserted?


Even the most careful of installers can unwittingly over-insert a
joint. The assembly of any push-on, gasketed pipe joint requires a
certain amount of force to complete. As is shown in the following
figures, the initial amount of force required to deflect the gasket is
greater than the amount of force required to further push the spigot
past the gasket location until proper positioning is achieved.

assure themselves that all of the joints in their system are properly
made. Those measures include, among other things, holding pipe
lengths in place with pieces of equipment, using temporary stop
mechanisms, or slow (particularly in larger sizes) mechanical
means such as come-a-longs and cables. Additionally, with some
utilities, if inspection reveals that any joints are over-belled the
installer is required to expose previously assembled joints until
properly made joints are found and the over-inserted joints must be
re-installed.
With the development and introduction of the patent pending
Mega-Stop bell protection product there is now a means of
correctly installing every pipe joint while simplifying inspection
and, in some cases, speeding up the over-all progress of pipeline
installation. It also allows for expansion, contraction, and
deflection as intended by the manufacturer.
The Mega-Stop product is a simple design that has a gripping ring
that provides the physical stop and limits the travel of the spigot
into the bell. However, the unique Expansion Retention Spring
(ERS) separates the end of the bell from the physical stop so that
expansion/contraction/deflection can take place as intended by the
joint designers and pipe manufacturers. The ERS compresses when
additional force is applied to the joint and pushes the joint back to
the proper position when the force is removed.

This is where the Uni-Bell caution about disturbing previously


assembled joints comes into play. The force required to assemble
a subsequent joint is more than enough to cause previously
assembled joints to further-insert because, as mentioned above, the
force needed to continue pushing the spigot into the joint is less
than that required during the initial assembly/gasket deflection.

To aid inspection the ERS allows for visual verification of the


location of the stop-line on the spigot. In the 4-12 inch design,
inspection notches in the rubber spring permit the installer to
position the product properly and the inspector to verify that the
joint is assembled properly. This can allow the inspector to inspect
multiple pipes at ground level after the Mega-Stop products have
been installed but before the pipe is placed in the trench.
Conclusion
The Mega-Stop bell protection system offers a simple, safe, and
reliable means of protecting PVC pipe joints. The products design,
function, and application will be examined in the next Connections
Bulletin.
References

This can be more of an issue with larger diameter pipe because


the required assembly force is much greater than with smaller
diameters. Studies have shown that the assembly of a single joint
can affect four to six already assembled and buried joints.
Another consequence of over-inserted pipe is a loss of pipe. An
over-inserted pipe can have a laying length that is more than 2
inches shorter than specified. Depending on the length of the pipe
involved several pieces of pipe can be lost as a result.
How to Prevent Over-Insertion?
While the admonition against it is in place, there is not much help
available in preventing over-insertion of newly or previously
assembled joints. Some utilities have gone to great lengths to

Shah Rahman, PVC Pipe & Fittings: Underground Solutions for


Water and Sewer Systems in North America, 2nd BRAZILIAN PVC
CONGRESS, Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 19-20, 2007
Uni-Pub-10, When Performance Counts, Uni-Bell PVC Pipe
Association
Steven L. Folkman, A. P. Moser, and Thomas Fronk, Analytical Model
of Stresses Caused by Over-Belling PVC Pipe, Plastic Pipes XV
Younes YOUSSEF, Sbastien GAUTHIER and Richard ST-AUBIN,
Effect of Over-Insertion and Over-Deflection on the Integrity of
PVC Pressure Pipe-Numerical and Experimental Analysis, ASCE
Pipelines 2008
Mega-Stop is trademark of EBAA Iron Sales, Inc.

0611-A

You might also like