Being a part of this industry for more than 35 years, my team and I take responsibility for the quality of products we manufacture and expect the same of other companies. Lack of integrity, responsibility and obligation to our nation’s backbone, will prohibit our nation from achieving a sustainable infrastructure. There needs to be a change in the way manufacturers are testing and promoting their pipe products.  Decision makers such as city officials and specifiers have the power to influence testing procedures and the products chosen to transport our most precious resource, water.

One recent step in the right direction is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) acceptance of the American Concrete Pipe Association’s (ACPA) proposed post-installation deflection testing specifications for all projects that allow use of flexible/plastic pipe.  Pipe deflection refers to the amount of deviation or degree of bending in the pipe due to applied stress or weight.  Now, all HDPE and PVC pipe must have a deflection rating of no more than 5 percent, versus the former 7.5 percent. The revised specifications by the USACE reflect the continuous increase in breaks and cracking well before pipes are reaching their intended life expectancy.  Typically, deflections exceeding five to seven percent constitute structural failure and require removal.

So why are we seeing pipes with 50-, 90- and 100-year service life break in only one year? Well, while breaks can and will happen before the intended life expectancy, this increasing number is due to improper product testing, claims and careless specification. But perhaps those choosing what products we put in the ground either aren’t as concerned with these facts, or are too trusting of a promised service life and products that show “economical benefit.”

It is extremely important that all pipe products meet every specification before being put in the ground.  This is especially true for flexible pipe, which unlike rigid pipe such as concrete or steel, depends heavily on factors such as soil condition and the installation process in order to be successful. 

Every manufacturer should take responsibility to conduct the proper tests and assessments in order to produce quality products that support our infrastructure and a sustainable future. Specifiers must be knowledgeable about material properties for all pipe products in order to prevent leakage in stormwater installations.  While both flexible and rigid pipe have the ability to perform properly, both products need to be adequately assessed to determine which option offers the best and most efficient operation.  Dating back to the Roman Empire, concrete may be the “older” option, but it has maintained the most impressive performance record as a strong and durable product ITHOE.  With continued advancements in design, technology and analysis, it is also an environmentally friendly and sustainable choice.

It’s not about saying one product is better or will last longer than another – it’s about choosing the right product for the longevity of our infrastructure and environment and for the specific job and avoiding unnecessary risks.  Sustainability is the responsibility of all manufacturers, city leaders and citizens.  We must continue to modify our products and testing to ensure satisfactory quality that aligns with engineering standards and economic analysis.

The first, informing us new home sales dropped 11.2% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual sales pace of 309,000 units, the lowest level on records going back nearly half a century.  This drop has pushed the median home sales price to $203,500, down 5.6% from December’s price of $215,600.  This is not good news; prices need to go up in order to bring the hundreds of thousands of mortgages out there back into solvency and out of negative equity.

The second blow was job front news with jobless claims rising to 496,000, an increase of 22,000 when all indications from economists were pointing toward a drop nearer to 455,000.  Maybe the message is that optimism is not going to get us out of this, only realism will help.

The third area is closer to home for me, in Texas.  Statistics showed that home foreclosures for 2009 fell to their lowest level in three years.  As a result most of the Texans I have spoken to are jumping for joy and pretending the crisis is over for them.  Not so!!  Look closer at the stats guys.  If you go below the main headline you will find some much more worrying news.  This is where realism needs to kick in.  The ratio of Texans behind on their mortgage payments has risen to more than 10% for the first time.  The inventory of foreclosed homes statewide has increased more than 25% in recent months.  Almost 40% of the residential real estate sold in North Texas in the last quarter was foreclosed or distressed properties and about 15% of Dallas homeowners with mortgages owed more than their house was worth at the end of 2009.  So unfortunately despite the headline statement the Republic is still in trouble!!!!

All is not however doom and gloom, so I would like to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR – AGAIN … Why?  Well it is time for Chinese New Year celebrations.  This year, 2010, it’s the year of the TIGER.  (That’s the cat variety rather than the Woods variety.) 

With all of the miserable news that we’ve had this week I thought the year of the TIGER was very appropriate.  Last year the Tiger was even voted the world’s favorite animal by poll respondents in 73 countries.  Tigers are the most powerful members of the cat family.  They protect their territory with their life.  They regularly pull together with each other creating a team approach to achieve their goals.  Tigers also appear to be very intolerant of failure. 

With these attributes and characteristics, what a perfect role model for the year in front of us.  We all need to take on board some tiger tenacity, sharpen our claws, knuckle down, use our skills, common sense, understanding, compassion, integrity and toughness to work through the worst year of the worst downtown ITHOE and head for the light that we can see at the end of a precast concrete tunnel (manufactured by Hanson Pipe & Precast of course). 

If we follow the Chinese example and embrace the year of this cat, we’ll all come through this, fitter, stronger and more experienced to enjoy the fruits of the upturn that will inevitably arrive, even though we can’t pinpoint exactly when.  And it can’t come soon enough, especially in the Republic.