Corrugated Pipe Outer Wrap for Smooth Backfilling and Lower Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Corrugated pipes face challenges with backfilling due to their irregular shape, requiring additional construction work and materials, and triple wall pipes are heavier and more expensive.
Innovation Solution
Applying an outer wrap made of fibers and plastic in a helical pattern over the corrugated pipe to create a smooth, strong exterior surface, which can be made from different materials than the pipe, reducing weight and production costs while increasing strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If triple wall corrugated pipe is used to produce a smoother outer surface, then the backfilling process is improved, but the pipe weight and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe structure is segmented into distinct functional layers: an inner corrugated wall for structural strength and an outer smooth layer for backfilling efficiency. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function without compromising the other, solving the contradiction between structural integrity and ease of backfilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe employs composite construction with different materials for the inner corrugated layer (providing strength) and the outer smooth layer (providing backfilling efficiency). This composite approach allows the pipe to simultaneously achieve both structural requirements and operational ease without the weight penalty of a fully thick-walled design.
2Ease of operation
If triple wall corrugated pipe is used to produce a smoother outer surface, then the backfilling process is improved, but the production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into separate stages for forming the corrugated structure and applying the outer smooth layer. This allows for optimized production of each component independently, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost while achieving the desired backfilling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the surface parameter (smoothness) of only the outer layer rather than the entire pipe wall, allowing the pipe to achieve backfilling efficiency without the cost of manufacturing a completely smooth-thick-walled pipe throughout its entire structure.
3Strength
If corrugated pipe is used to provide structural integrity, then radial stiffness is improved, but the outer surface becomes irregular requiring additional construction work
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe wall is segmented into an inner corrugated structural layer that provides radial stiffness and an outer smooth layer that eliminates construction difficulties. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different functions to different parts of the wall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The corrugated structure is applied locally to the inner wall where structural strength is needed, while the outer surface is made smooth locally where construction ease is required. This local differentiation of quality allows the pipe to simultaneously achieve both strength and ease of construction.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates generally to corrugated pipe, and more particularly to corrugated pipe with an outer wrap. In one embodiment, a pipe includes an axially extended bore defined by a corrugated outer wall having axially adjacent, outwardly-extending corrugation crests, separated by corrugation valleys. The pipe also includes an outer wrap applied to the outer wall. The outer wrap may include fibers and plastic. The outer wrap may span the corrugation crests producing a smooth outer surface.