63mm dia HDPE pipe (outer diameter 63mm) is one of the most widely used medium-caliber plastic pipes in municipal engineering and building water supply and drainage systems. As a typical representative of the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe family, this specification of pipe has both good mechanical properties and construction convenience, and occupies a dominant position in the DN50-DN80 pipe diameter range.
1. Standard size parameters
According to GB/T 13663.2-2018 standard, the main size parameters of 63mm HDPE pipe are:
Nominal outer diameter: 63mm (allowable deviation ±0.3mm)
Standard dimension ratio (SDR): Common series include SDR11, SDR13.6, SDR17, etc.
Wall thickness range: 4.7mm (SDR17)-5.8mm (SDR11)
Nominal pressure level: PN0.6-PN1.6MPa
Weight per meter: about 0.85-1.05kg (depending on SDR)
2. Material grade selection
63mm HDPE pipe usually adopts two material grades:
PE80: minimum required strength 8MPa, suitable for low pressure occasions
PE100: minimum required strength 10MPa, pressure bearing capacity increased by 20%, has become the mainstream choice
3. Color identification system
Depending on the application field, 63mm HDPE pipes are marked with different color stripes:
Blue stripes: drinking water delivery
Yellow stripes: gas delivery
Black or green: drainage/sewage system
Red: fire protection pipe
1. Excellent mechanical performance
63mm HDPE pipe has an excellent combination of mechanical properties:
Tensile strength ≥22MPa (PE100 grade)
Elongation at break ≥350%, excellent toughness
Impact strength (23℃) ≥20kJ/m²
Ring stiffness SN8 or above, good buried compression performance
Environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR) F50 ≥1000h
2. Excellent chemical corrosion resistance
Can withstand corrosion from a variety of chemical media:
Acid and alkali solutions with a pH range of 2-12
Various salt solutions and seawater
Most organic solvents
Corrosive components in domestic sewage and industrial wastewater
3. Excellent hydraulic properties
Smooth inner wall: roughness coefficient is only 0.009, much lower than metal pipes
Large flow: flow is 30% higher than cast iron pipe at the same pipe diameter
Low energy consumption: the power of the delivery pump can be reduced by 20-25%
No scaling: the inner diameter does not shrink after long-term use
4. Long service life
Designed service life of more than 50 years
Good UV resistance (containing 2.5% carbon black)
Excellent anti-aging performance
Applicable in the full temperature range (-40℃ to 60℃)
1. Building water supply and drainage system
Indoor water supply riser: replace traditional galvanized steel pipes
Community water supply network: branch pipe to household pipe section
Siphon rainwater system: roof drainage main pipe
Recycled water reuse pipeline: gray water delivery system
2. Municipal engineering application
Municipal water supply branch pipe: DN63 is the standard branch pipe diameter
Gas household pipeline: medium and low pressure gas transmission
Cable protection sleeve: power communication pipeline sleeve
Garden irrigation system: sprinkler and drip irrigation main pipeline
3. Industrial application
Food processing pipeline: beverage and dairy product transportation
Chemical medium transportation: corrosion-resistant process pipeline
Mine slurry pipeline: excellent wear resistance
Seawater aquaculture system: seawater delivery pipeline
4. Special use
Ground source heat pump pipeline: underground heat exchange circulation pipeline
Compressed air pipeline: factory pneumatic system
Fire sprinkler system: lightweight and pressure-resistant
Temporary water supply pipeline: rapid deployment system
1. Electric fusion connection (most commonly used)
Applicable pipe fittings: HDPE Electrofusion Coupling, electric fusion elbow, etc.
Operation points:
Scrape the oxide layer at the pipe end (scraping depth 0.1-0.2mm)
Use a special clamp to fix the center (misalignment ≤10% wall thickness)
Input voltage 39.5±0.5V, time adjusted according to the pipe diameter
Keep fixed during cooling (about 15 minutes)
Advantages: high connection strength, small operating space requirements
2. Hot fusion butt joint (applicable to straight pipe sections)
Process parameters:
Heating plate temperature 210±10℃
Welding pressure 0.15-0.3MPa
Absorption time 30-40 seconds
Switching time ≤5 seconds
Cooling time 10-15 minutes
Quality inspection:
Flange height 2-4mm and uniform
No impurities or pores at the bottom of the flange
Butt misalignment ≤10% wall thickness
3. Flange connection (transition connection)
Connection method:
Injection molding flange head hot melt connection
Steel-plastic transition flange connection
Loose-fit flange connection
Installation points:
Bolts are tightened evenly diagonally
Use PE special gaskets
Avoid deformation of flange due to overtightening
4. Socket connection (quick installation)
Applicable scenarios:
Temporary piping system
Non-pressure piping
Emergency repair project
Sealing element:
EPDM rubber ring
Silicone rubber sealing ring (food grade)
1. Transportation and storage requirements
Transportation:
Use brackets to fix to avoid rolling collision
When the length exceeds 3m, multiple support points should be set
Avoid sharp objects from scratching the pipe wall
Storage:
Stacking height does not exceed 1.5m
Keep away from heat sources for more than 2m
Outdoor storage should be covered to prevent UV rays
2. Trench excavation standards
Trench width: pipe diameter + 300mm (single pipe)
Trench depth:
Water supply pipe: below the freezing line + 200mm
Drainage pipe: design slope control
Foundation treatment:
Ram the original soil, compaction ≥ 90%
Make a 150mm sand cushion layer on the soft soil foundation
Pave a 100mm thick sand layer on the rock foundation
3. Pipeline laying points
Pipe laying method:
Manual pipe laying (pipe section within 6m)
Mechanical pipe laying (long pipe section or large diameter)
Installation requirements:
Maintain a slope of 0.3%-0.5%
Bending radius ≥ 25 times the pipe diameter
Reserve temperature compensation bend or expansion joint
4. Technical requirements for backfilling
Material selection:
Sand or fine soil from the bottom of the pipe to 300mm above the top of the pipe
No sharp objects such as stones and frozen soil
Compaction method:
Backfill in layers, 200-300mm per layer
Manual compaction on the pipe side, mechanical compaction above the pipe top
Compaction requirements: 85%-90% on the pipe side, 90%-95% above the pipe top
5. Pressure test standard
Test pressure:
Water supply pipe: 1.5 times the working pressure
Gas pipe: 1.5 times the design pressure
Pressure stabilization time:
Water supply system: 1 hour
Gas system: 24 hours
Qualified standard:
Pressure drop ≤ 5% of the test pressure
No visible leakage
|
Comparison Item |
63mm HDPE Pipe |
DN65 Galvanized Steel Pipe |
DN50 PVC-U Pipe |
|
Weight (kg/m) |
0.9–1.1 |
4.5–5.0 |
1.2–1.5 |
|
Corrosion Resistance |
Excellent, no protection needed |
Poor, requires coating protection |
Good |
|
Connection Method |
Butt fusion / electrofusion (leak-free) |
Threaded / flanged (possible leakage) |
Adhesive / rubber ring |
|
Service Life |
Over 50 years |
15–20 years |
25–30 years |
|
Flow Resistance |
Very low (n = 0.009) |
High (n = 0.012) |
Low (n = 0.01) |
|
Construction Efficiency |
High (quick connection) |
Low (slow threading process) |
Medium |
|
Maintenance Cost |
Very low |
High (requires regular maintenance) |
Low |
|
Environmental Performance |
Recyclable, non-polluting |
Recyclable |
Difficult to recycle |
1. Pressure level selection
SDR11: PN1.6MPa (high-pressure water supply, gas)
SDR13.6: PN1.25MPa (municipal water supply main)
SDR17: PN1.0MPa (water supply system in buildings)
SDR21: PN0.8MPa (drainage, low-pressure system)
2. Flow calculation reference
Calculate the water delivery capacity of 63mm HDPE pipe according to Manning's formula:
Q = (1/n) × A × R²/³ × S¹/²
Where:
Q: Flow rate (m³/s)
n: Roughness coefficient (HDPE takes 0.009)
A: Water flow area (m²)
R: Hydraulic radius (m)
S: Hydraulic slope (m/m)
Practical flow reference value (slope 0.5%):
Full pipe flow: about 6.5m³/h
3/4 pipe flow: about 5.2m³/h
1/2 pipe flow: about 3.8m³/h
3. Support spacing design
Horizontal installation:
Normal temperature water supply: 1.0-1.2m
Hot water system: 0.8-1.0m
Vertical installation:
Set pipe clamps on each floor (≤3m spacing)
Load-bearing support is set at the bottom of the vertical pipe
4. Thermal compensation considerations
Thermal expansion coefficient: 0.15-0.2mm/(m·℃)
Compensation measures:
Natural compensation (L-type, Z-type bend)
Expansion joint installation (one every 30-40m)
Pipeline reserved expansion gap
The correct selection and use of 63mm HDPE pipe will provide economical, reliable and durable pipeline solutions for various engineering projects, and make important contributions to urban infrastructure construction and building water supply and drainage system upgrades.
