Does the flattening flow of the PE pipe affect it?

PE pipe is widely used in municipal projects such as water supply and gas supply due to its corrosion resistance and good flexibility, but many users have questions: "If the soft PE pipe is flattened, will it affect the flow of water or gas?" The answer is yes - the impact of PE pipe flattening on flow directly depends on the degree and duration of deformation.

Start with the physical characteristics of PE pipe: PE (polyethylene) pipe does have good flexibility and can adapt to slight soil settlement or construction deviation, but this "elasticity" has a clear limit. Its compressive capacity is determined by wall thickness, pipe diameter and raw material grade (such as PE80, PE100). Once the external force exceeds its tolerance range, the deformation will be irreversible, which in turn affects the flow.

Mild flattening (pipe diameter reduced by less than 10%): This is the most common situation, such as a slight collision during construction or a slight extrusion of soil. At this time, the reduction of the cross-sectional area of the pipeline is limited, and the flow change may not be obvious in the short term, but the long-term repeated deformation will make the PE pipe "fatigue" - the material gradually ages, the pipe wall becomes thinner, and hidden cracks may appear in the later stage, which will slowly affect the flow stability.

Moderate flattening (pipe diameter reduced by 20% -30%): At this time, the flow reduction will become intuitive. According to the principle of fluid mechanics, the flow is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the pipeline. The reduction of the cross-sectional area means that the fluid passing through per unit time is reduced. Just like a squashed straw, the speed of drinking For example, after the buried PE pipe in the community is mildly squeezed by the excavator, the user will find that the water pressure becomes smaller and the water heater outlet slows down.

Severe flattening (pipe diameter reduced by more than 30% or completely flattened): This is already a "blockage level" deformation, the internal space of the pipeline is almost squeezed and closed, and the flow will drop sharply or even completely stop. What is more dangerous is that the internal pressure will be concentrated in the deformation, which may lead to the rupture of the pipe wall, causing water leakage and air leakage accidents, and the maintenance cost will rise sharply.

In actual scenarios, the reason for the flattening of PE pipes is mostly related to improper construction or maintenance: for example, the excavator works blindly when the pipeline location is not clear, directly squeezing the buried PE pipe; or the foundation around the community settles, resulting in uneven soil pressure on the pipeline, slowly "flattening" the PE pipe. These situations will be directly reflected in the flow rate changes at the user end - insufficient water pressure, smaller gas flames, and even water and gas interruption.

To avoid the flattening of PE pipes affecting the flow rate, the key lies in "prevention": during construction, strictly follow the specifications for burial depth (the burial depth of the water supply pipe is not less than 0.7 meters), backfill with fine soil or sand instead of sharp stones; avoid excessive bending of PE pipes during installation (the bending radius is not less than 20 times the pipe diameter); regularly use pipeline endoscopes to check the internal deformation, or through stress testing to determine whether the flow rate is abnormal; choose the appropriate wall thickness of PE pipes according to the conveying pressure (the higher the pressure, the thicker the pipe wall).

summary, the impact of PE pipe flattening on flow is a process of "from quantitative change to qualitative change" - mild deformation may hide hidden dangers, moderate deformation directly affects use, and severe deformation will cause failure. Pay more attention to details in daily construction and maintenance to keep PE pipe unobstructed and play its due conveying function.