Be Ready When The Quake Strikes

If you don’t live on the West Coast, you probably aren’t too concerned with the threat of an earthquake. But with 50 percent of the nation’s population living in areas of moderate to severe seismic risk, those responsible for water infrastructure should have the threat on their radars. And that means protecting pipes, valves, and hydrants.

The American Cast Iron Pipe Company offers an earthquake joint system that was developed in conjunction with major water utilities along the West Coast to withstand quakes.

“[The system] provides eight degrees deflection, using a modified flex ring joint in combination with a traditional flex ring joint, it provides 4.8 inches longitudinal separation or contraction,” said Maury Gaston, the manager of marketing services with American Ductile Iron Pipes, American Spiral Weld Pipe, and American Flow Control. “The joint, to use a layman’s term, wiggles and extends and contracts to withstand very heavy seismic loads in the event that seismic activity occurs.”

Defending buried infrastructure and hydrants against earthquakes is more than a matter of protecting the pipes and valves themselves. The infrastructure may prove critical in emergency response and it must be intact in case of disaster.

“Fire damage is one of the most significant risks associated with seismic activity and by using our earthquake joint system with both our pipe and our valve and hydrant products, we will be able to add reliability to water systems and fire protection systems in the event of earthquakes,” said Gaston.

To hear more about how American Cast Iron Pipe helps protect utilities against earthquakes, and the other solutions it showcased during WEFTEC 2015, tune in to Gaston’s interview with Water Online Radio below.