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 article went on to say that we seem to, “have a fetish for old buildings these days.”  Which should have led into the one important point missing from the article, the future of the United States … SUSTAINABILITY.   Building on the past (you like that Hanson Building Products team?!?!?) by preserving buildings and structures for their historical interest is one thing but planning, designing and building structures to be fit for purpose through the passage of time is an entirely different issue.

Texas Stadium certainly should have fit into this category and a magnificent facility of this kind to have a lifespan of only 39 years is disgraceful.  (My views of the Death Star are implied in the previous statement.)  Nothing lasts forever, nothing lasts for its intended lifespan without care, maintenance and some investment and to admit that because a structure is tired and dirty (and yes hot) it needs replacing is indeed promoting how the rest of the world perceives the U.S., “a throw away society.”

It flies in the face of sustainability (if it had one) and if we are serious about creating a better world for our children’s children then we have to start building for a longer term future.  It has been proven that concrete structures will last for many thousands of years, when cared for, not just 39.  

The article then went on to quote other buildings that have been demolished like the, “Reunion Arena which has been reduced to a giant dirt pile.”  This is just another example of unsustainable planning and building. 

The United States is a fantastic country in many, many ways but it has to look outside of its borders to other parts of the world and start to build a more sustainable infrastructure.  There are buildings and structures all over the world that have been built with future generations in mind.  Their lifespan has served communities to the fullest.  The, “I’m fed up with it, it is tired and dirty, so let’s knock it down,” syndrome simply has to stop (further translation for Dallasites ~ no more McMansions in the Park Cities and M Streets, even if it is good for my business short term, it is not in the long term).  

We can’t legislate for this alone, it’s important to win over the hearts and minds of the people to change our, “throw away society,” culture.  To help the population create a better world everyone must play a part.  Unfortunately this didn’t make it into TDMN article.  I always look for a balanced view when I read articles of this sort and sad to say sustainability didn’t get a mention.  So The Dallas Morning News, let’s hear more about sustainability.  Let’s hear more questions being asked about the sustainability of some current projects in the pipeline.  Let’s hear more about the products and materials that exist today used in construction in and around this city.  Let’s do all we can to ensure not only Dallas but also the U.S. moves from great to even greater by ensuring we are creating a sustainable future.

Sustainability is not just a fad; it needs to become a part of our culture.  For better building!  We need to build to last.  We need to plan for the future.  We need to take more care of our environment than we have ITHOE.

Tick in the box!  Job done.  We met our objective and here it is:

Building on the past.  Restoring the balance.  Creating the future.

Brilliant, perfect, not created by me, but developed through a thought process and series of exercises from a cross divisional, cross functional and cross geographical group of my North American team, who are passionate about our world, our company and the people around them.  “Odd” you may say when you read it.  What’s that got to do with sustainability?  Well, think about it.

Building on the past, the first point:  Prior to the industrial revolution in the 19^th century there was no need to consider many aspects of sustainability.  No emissions, no VOC’s, no plastics, no steel and glass skyscrapers.  Our infrastructure was put together using naturally created materials and products that were strong, durable, long lasting and practical – Sustainable.  Anyone doubt that statement?  OK – take a trip to Egypt and look at the pyramids, built 4,500 years ago.  On the way back call in to Rome and look at the 2,000-year-old buildings still standing today.  Some of the earliest brick structures as still standing.  The Ishtar Gate, entrance to the city of Babylon, was constructed from brick 2,500 years ago and is still standing.  Looking to much more modern times, one of the most beautiful brick buildings in the world is Hampton Court Palace near London, England and completed by King Henry VIII in 1514 is still revered as one of the finest examples of brick architecture ever created.  So that’s why we refer to the past in our sustainability vision.  Put bluntly, our forefathers got it right, we got it wrong.

Restoring the balance, the second point:  OK, if we accept the comments on the past then we need to look at what’s gone wrong in more recent times.  We’ve messed up our world in the name of progress, greed and generally being too clever for our own good in the last 150 years or so, that’s all.  Progress for the sake of progress.  Architects designing with unsustainable materials.  You don’t agree?  Well you obviously weren’t around in the 1960s!  Ask someone who was and get them to describe some of the buildings we were erecting then.  It’s in our nature to progress but we need to balance that momentum with the sustainability experience that we have learned from the past.  From as long ago as 4,000 years before the “clever” innovators created the need for sustainability by systematically destroying our world over the relatively short 150 years to date.  So it’s that balance that needs to be restored.

Creating the future, the last point:  This is very simple, by assessing past practices, designs, materials, products and concepts and balancing that with our ever increasing knowledge we can build a better, more durable and above all more sustainable infrastructure for our future generations.  

I am proud to be the President of a company with such vision and conviction regarding sustainability.  I’m even more proud of the fact that the statement was not derived from on high.  It wasn’t made up by some third party or passed down from the head office.  The statement was born out of the hearts and minds of our team, who regard themselves as part of our company and who believe in themselves, their company and their past, present and future world and generations – enough to come up with a statement, a vision, a mantra that demonstrates a passion for the true, down to earth, real concept of sustainability.

Building on the past.  Restoring the balance.  Creating the Future.