Can Your Pipe Survive An Earthquake?

American Cast Iron Pipe Company has been around for 110 years, but the company isn’t resting on its laurels. Instead, AMERICAN is diversifying and innovating its product line.

The latest offering, as explained to Water Online Radio by Maury Gaston, is the AMERICAN Earthquake Joint system:

“We’ve adapted our strong and time proven flex ring joint into a new and innovative joint assembly, designed and tested to withstand the tremendous loads experienced during a seismic event. We did this by adapting the conventional flex ring bell with an extended bell, providing 2.4 inches longitudinal expansion or contraction – a total of 4.8 inches overall length differential.

“In addition to that longitudinal performance, the extended bell provides three degrees of rotation or deflection. The casting is pre-assembled prior to shipment to our conventional flex ring, with five degrees deflection. The earthquake assembly has eight degrees deflection and 2.4 inches more than one percent of joint length expansion or contraction capacity.

“Dead-end thrust resistance for earthquake environments ranges from more than 100,000 pounds in the 6” size to more than 200,000 pounds in the 12” size.”

In addition to the earthquake-proof joint, Gaston discusses a product range that expands beyond ductile iron pipe and joints to also include spiral-welded steel pipe, gate valves and check valves, and even fire hydrants. Hear the whole interview below.