T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N R

FLOWTITE® GRP
PIPE AND FITTINGS
INSTALLATION

PIPE JOINTING
FLOWTITE® uses a high compression rubber ring jointing system.

The couplings are normally factory fitted on the pipe, so effectively it is a ‘spigot and socket’ pipe system.
Loose couplings are also available for joining with cut pipes or spigot fittings.

The FLOWTITE® coupling utilises the ‘REKA’ rubber ring joint design, which has been successfully used for over 85 years.

The coupling is comprised of two sealing rings and a central rubber stop.
The rubber stop is not a structural or sealing member of the coupling. Its
primary purpose is to protect the pipe ends from being damaged during
the jointing process and to ensure the coupling is located centrally over
the pipe spigots.

CUTAWAY SECTION OF THE FLOWTITE® PRESSURE COUPLING PRESSURISED

CUTAWAY SECTION OF THE FLOWTITE® PRESSURE COUPLING

The information contained in this document should serve as a guide only and is subject to change
without notice. For more information please contact Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd.

W W W. I P L E X . C O M . A U • EMAIL [email protected] V1 2019

P L U M B I N G , E L E C T R I C A L A N D I R R I G AT I O N 1 3 0 0 0 I P L E X ( 1 3 0 0 0 4 7 5 3 9 ) • CIVIL 13 10 86 1
T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N R

FLOWTITE® GRP
PIPE AND FITTINGS
INSTALLATION

PIPE JOINTING PROCEDURE

01 Clean the inside of the FLOWTITE® Coupling and the

rubber sing seal thoroughly. 01A If necessary, remove the rubber ring from the
coupling and clean thoroughly. Clean inside the
coupling and the rubber ring groove.

02 Reinsert the rubber ring back into the groove.

Check the rubber ring is positioned correctly in 03 Place a plastic blanket underneath the coupling,
to keep the area clean. Apply pipe lubricant on the
the groove. rubber ring seal. (Lubricant must be kept clean at
all times).

04 Wipe clean the pipe spigot.

Check for any damage.

05 Apply pipe lubricant on the

pipe spigot and chamfer up
to the witness mark.
Note: Pipe lubricant must be
kept clean at all times.

The information contained in this document should serve as a guide only and is subject to change
without notice. For more information please contact Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd.

W W W. I P L E X . C O M . A U • EMAIL [email protected] V1 2019

P L U M B I N G , E L E C T R I C A L A N D I R R I G AT I O N 1 3 0 0 0 I P L E X ( 1 3 0 0 0 4 7 5 3 9 ) • CIVIL 13 10 86 2
T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N R

FLOWTITE® GRP
PIPE AND FITTINGS
INSTALLATION

07 Position the spigot within the FLOWTITE®

coupling and align the pipe in a STRAIGHT LINE.
Apply force evenly and ease the pipe ‘home’ up
to the witness mark. If resistance occurs, DO NOT
06 Lower the FLOWTITE® pipe in the trench. FORCE OR JERK! CHECK FOR CAUSES
(See Trouble Shooting).

07A Pipe jointing with come-along jacks and

clamps.
07B Pipe jointing with nylon sling attached to the
excavator arm. ENSURE PIPE IS PULLED IN A
STRAIGHT ALIGNMENT.

07D It may be possible to use a metal crowbar with

a timber bolster to join DN300 FLOWTITE®
07C Pipe jointing using excavator. (Take care when
applying force. Push evenly. DO NOT JERK!)
pipe. Ensure the jointing force is applied
against a suitable timber bolster.

The information contained in this document should serve as a guide only and is subject to change
without notice. For more information please contact Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd.

W W W. I P L E X . C O M . A U • EMAIL [email protected] V1 2019

P L U M B I N G , E L E C T R I C A L A N D I R R I G AT I O N 1 3 0 0 0 I P L E X ( 1 3 0 0 0 4 7 5 3 9 ) • CIVIL 13 10 86 3
T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N R

FLOWTITE® GRP
PIPE AND FITTINGS
INSTALLATION

08 Use a ‘feeler gauge’ to ensure the rubber ring seal

is seated correctly. 09 Remove the plastic blanket and fill the bell hole
with embedment material and haunch tightly
underneath the coupling.

TROUBLESHOOTING

01 Check pipe alignment

during pipe jointing. 02 Check the ring is seated
correctly in the groove.

The information contained in this document should serve as a guide only and is subject to change
without notice. For more information please contact Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd.

W W W. I P L E X . C O M . A U • EMAIL [email protected] V1 2019

P L U M B I N G , E L E C T R I C A L A N D I R R I G AT I O N 1 3 0 0 0 I P L E X ( 1 3 0 0 0 4 7 5 3 9 ) • CIVIL 13 10 86 4
T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N R

FLOWTITE® GRP
PIPE AND FITTINGS
INSTALLATION

03 Check if the coupling is clean. 04 Check the lubricant on the ring and pipe spigot.

05 For cut pipe ends, check the chamfer. 06 Is the cut pipe an Adjustment pipe?

JOINTING TROUBLESHOOTING

 Misalignment less than 5mm

 Rubber rings correctly seated
 Spigot 'pushed home' to witness mark

The information contained in this document should serve as a guide only and is subject to change
without notice. For more information please contact Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd.

W W W. I P L E X . C O M . A U • EMAIL [email protected] V1 2019

P L U M B I N G , E L E C T R I C A L A N D I R R I G AT I O N 1 3 0 0 0 I P L E X ( 1 3 0 0 0 4 7 5 3 9 ) • CIVIL 13 10 86 5
T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N R

FLOWTITE® GRP
PIPE AND FITTINGS
INSTALLATION

PIPE LUBRICANT
The following table shows the approximate number of joints for each tin of lubricant:

DN 5kg TUB

300 30

375 25

450 20

500 20

525 15

600 15

675 15

750 10

900 10

1000 10

1100 10

1200 10

1300 10

1400 5

1500 5

1600 5

1700 5

1800 5

1900 5

2000 5

2200 5

2400 4

2600 3

2800 3

3000 3

The information contained in this document should serve as a guide only and is subject to change
without notice. For more information please contact Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd.

W W W. I P L E X . C O M . A U • EMAIL [email protected] V1 2019

P L U M B I N G , E L E C T R I C A L A N D I R R I G AT I O N 1 3 0 0 0 I P L E X ( 1 3 0 0 0 4 7 5 3 9 ) • CIVIL 13 10 86 6
T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N R

FLOWTITE® GRP
PIPE AND FITTINGS
INSTALLATION

Approximate jointing forces needed for FLOWTITE® pipe is given below:

DN APPROXIMATE FORCE (kN) APPROXIMATE FORCE (kg)

300 6 600

375 8 800

450 9 900

500 10 1000

525 11 1100

600 12 1200

675 14 1400

750 15 1500

900 18 1800

1000 20 2000

1100 22 2200

1200 24 2400

1300 26 2600

1400 28 2800

1500 30 3000

1600 32 3200

1700 34 3400

1800 36 3600

1900 38 3800

2000 40 4000

2100 42 4200

2200 44 4400

2400 48 4800

2600 52 5200

2800 56 5600

3000 60 6000

The information contained in this document should serve as a guide only and is subject to change
without notice. For more information please contact Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd.

W W W. I P L E X . C O M . A U • EMAIL [email protected] V1 2019

P L U M B I N G , E L E C T R I C A L A N D I R R I G AT I O N 1 3 0 0 0 I P L E X ( 1 3 0 0 0 4 7 5 3 9 ) • CIVIL 13 10 86 7
T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N R

FLOWTITE® GRP
PIPE AND FITTINGS
INSTALLATION

JOINT FITTINGS
Spigot ended FLOWTITE® GRP fittings; ductile iron fittings (up to
DN750) and mild steel fittings can be joined directly to FLOWTITE®
pipes with FLOWTITE® couplings.

Note:
• FLOWTITE® GRP fittings have the conventional witness mark.
• When connecting a mild steel or ductile iron fitting with a FLOWTITE®
coupling, the spigot ends should be machined with the same outside
diameter and tolerances as a FLOWTITE® pipe spigot.

Socket ended ductile fittings manufactured to AS/NZS2280 are

suitable for jointing with FLOWTITE® pipes of diameters up to and
including DN750, excluding sizes DN525 and DN675.

In most situations a cut length of pipe may be necessary to accurately

place a fitting. e.g. Bend or tee.

Select a FLOWTITE® Adjustment pipe for the length adjustment.

An ‘Adjustment pipe’ can be cut anywhere along its length and joined
directly to the fitting without the need for adaptors or couplings.

Refer to the ductile iron fitting manufacturer’s recommendations for

witness mark depths.

Place a witness mark on the FLOWTITE® pipe to the recommended

depth when joining to a DI Socket fitting.

Flanged fittings, including gate valves, reflux valves etc. can be connected to FLOWTITE® pipes with GRP or ductile
iron flanges.

• GRP Flanges are pressure rated E.g. PN16, therefore the rating must be specified when ordering.

• GRP flanges can be ‘flat faced’ with or without ‘O’ ring groove and ‘stub’ with backing rings.

• Metal washers should be used with all flanges.

• Appropriate bolt torques for flanges shall be applied with a torque wrench.

• GRP Flanges are generally thicker than ductile iron flanges therefore longer bolts may be necessary.

• Compressed fibre gaskets should not be used with flat faced GRP flanges.

The information contained in this document should serve as a guide only and is subject to change
without notice. For more information please contact Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd.

W W W. I P L E X . C O M . A U • EMAIL [email protected] V1 2019

P L U M B I N G , E L E C T R I C A L A N D I R R I G AT I O N 1 3 0 0 0 I P L E X ( 1 3 0 0 0 4 7 5 3 9 ) • CIVIL 13 10 86 8