Victaulic pipe joining system

1. Keeping budgets under control
PIPES Fittings & Valves
February 2017
28
W
ith construction managers under
increasing pressure to fast-track
work and keep within budgets,
Victaulic prides itself on its range of
mechanical pipe joining systems that are
time efficient, cost effective and safer to use.
The American manufacturer has 85 years of
design experience and is well established
in its native market as well as across Asia
and continental Europe. Victaulic is now
looking to make a considerable impact on
the UK construction sector.
The launch of its StrengThin 100 range
for thin-wall stainless steel pipes may
help Victaulic achieve its objectives here.
Claiming an industry first, the company
created a grooved mechanical piping
system to overcome the challenges of
welding stainless steel pipes with low wall
thicknesses. It’s described as a simple idea
that can help complete a project with less
manpower, while coming in under budget
and ahead of schedule.
Change of tack
The trend towards thin-wall stainless steel,
especially for use in cold water supply as
well as cooling, potable water and oil-free
compressed air systems, has come about
because the material is easier to handle and
has the potential to reduce installation costs.
Stainless steel has very high tensile strength,
which results in high working pressures,
and is highly corrosion resistant. For on-
site operatives, thin-wall stainless steel is
much lighter than other materials, such as
carbon steel, so it’s easier to manoeuvre.
However, welding thin-wall stainless
steel isn’t without its risks. Overheating the
pipe and needing chemicals to pickle and
passivate the pipe to restore its corrosion
resistance are just two of the challenges
associated with the welding process. The
StrengThin 100 system is designed to
overcome these challenges by eliminating
the need for welding and using instead a
mechanical joint.
The StrengThin 100 system consists
of a galvanized rigid coupling, featuring
Victaulic’s Installation-Ready technology
and comes pre-assembled, with no loose
parts. This allows for quick and easy
connection of pipes, without having to
dismantle the coupling. The coupling is rated
up to 16 bar and suitable for temperatures
ranging from -34°C to +121°C. The rest of
the system includes a full line of stainless
steel lightweight fittings and valves. The
system also makes use of a new pipe groove
profile, which creates coupling engagement
without the risk of pipe flare.
Without welding
The problems and expense associated with
welding represent some of the reasons that
mechanical joints are attracting growing
industry attention. Victaulic claims that
using the StrengThin 100 product can
potentially contribute to a 15% savings on
total installation costs compared to welding,
as Sebastian Matijasevich, Sales Director
Europe, explains:
“The big challenge for purchasing
managers is that they start with large
equipment costs. They might get a 5%
discount through negotiations in this
area. Then for material – such as pipes,
flanges, valves, and so on – they might
get another 5%. But what do you do with
labour? Labour is what is hard to control,
and every increase in labour is a direct
increase in the budget.”
Quality control
By specifying Victaulic’s mechanical pipe
joining system, the cost of using welders is
avoided, safety risks are minimised, and the
time to install is reduced. It is claimed that
the shortened installation time can be three
to five times faster to install than welded,
flanged or threaded systems, reducing total
exposure on the job. Sebastian says that
these labour efficiencies can add a further
5% savings to the overall budget.
In addition to the cost savings, StrengThin
100 ensures a better quality finish. Welding
is a skilled job, and not all welders are
created equal. When it comes to welding,
the finish on the inside is important to the
quality of the system; plus, welding can
cause cracking and corrosion, adding to
total cost of ownership.
The mechanical joint in Victaulic’s system
is self-contained, with no loose parts to keep
track of. Two standard bolts with heavy hex
nuts can be fixed using a battery powered
impact wrench. Pipes are inserted on either
side of the coupling, and the centre leg of
the gasket acts as a pipe stop, positioning
the coupling keys over the pipe groove.
The coupling housings fully encompass
the gasket and provide the mechanical
strength of the pipe joint.
“Once you close the joint, you get visual
inspectability,” says Sebastian. “You can tell
it is well installed, and you have a reliable
seal that will exist for the lifetime of the
installation. This guarantees the quality of
work. No flames, no safety risk involved.
You reduce handling, because it’s all in
one. And all this is done with thin-wall
stainless steel pipe, which is lighter, easier
to handle and resistent to corrosion, adding
to efficiency on site.”
Good for life
Once installed, the grooved piping
system enables quick and simple routine
maintenance, system expansion and
retrofits. While a welded joint would need
to be cut to provide access to the system, a
mechanical joint can be undone by loosening
the bolts on the coupling.
Victaulic manufacturers both rigid and
flexible pipe joints. Rigid couplings are
suitable for applications where movement
is not allowed and provide the same
immobility as a flanged or welded joint.
Flexible couplings can be specified in
applications dealing with thermal expansion
and contraction. They also have the ability
to attenuate noise and reduce vibration
transmission to the pipeline.
Long history
Mechanical joining of pipes has been in use
since WWI, when the quick deployment of
pipes carrying fuel and water to the front
was a priority for the Allies. Since then, the
technology has been refined and modernised
to become an efficient, long-lasting and
reliable method of pipe installation.
“The benefits of using thin-wall stainless
steel joined with a mechanical coupling
are gaining currency in the UK,” concludes
Sebastian. “Its ease and speed of installation,
reducedrisktoworkers,andpotentialtoreduce
costsallcontributetoacompetitiveadvantage
for contractors to boost their bottom line.”
Grooved mechanical piping systems have been in use for more than 85 years, but Victaulic’s development of a method to join thin-wall
stainless steel pipe without welding is proving to be a game-changer for HVAC applications. Carol Hitchcock reports.
www.victaulic.com ENQUIRY No. 113
Installation-Ready technology creates a reliable joint that takes a matter of seconds to complete
Pictures by Tommy C. Olsen, VANytt
According to Albion Valves,
hydronic balancing is one of
the most complicated tasks
faced by heating engineers,
andapoorlybalancedsystem
means a system that is both
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To help take the pressure
off engineers, Albion
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intelligent valves to help
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Dynamic valves such as
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pressure control valves
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but instead
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These valves
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PICVs promote balance
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s e l f -
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P I C V s
e n s u r e p r e s s u r e
influences from the rest
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PICVs can save time and
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The DPCV
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DPCVs offer energy
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In a variable volume
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So common inefficiencies,
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losingheat,orcoolinggaining
heatintothepipedistribution
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Intelligent valves can take the pressure off engineers
PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.
albionvalvesuk.com 114