Revision of the AWWA C200 Steel Water Pipe Manufacturing Standard: Consensus-Based Changes Mark Significant Improvements

Abstract

AWWA C200 Steel Water Pipe, 6 Inch and Larger, is an industry consensus standard that is recognized throughout the world and is the preeminent guide for the manufacture of steel pipe for water and wastewater applications in North America. The first AWWA steel water pipe standards, 7A.3 and 7A.4 were published in 1940. In 1949, 7A.3 was replaced with C201 and 7A.4 was replaced with C202. These two standards were later combined into the C200 standard in 1975. Since then, the document has undergone six revisions, each iteration marked by improvements to the manufacturing process as well as associated quality control procedures. The most recent revision, incorporating a number of significant updates, was approved by the AWWA Board of Directors on June 22, 2012 and became effective on September 1, 2012. This paper will provide a historical perspective of AWWA steel water pipe standards, followed by a discussion of some substantial improvements made in the latest revision of C200. Topics discussed will include considerations for the Charpy toughness or impact testing, new testing requirements for gasket materials, allowable steel grades and or characteristics, manufacturing test requirements, weld procedures and weld testing. HISTORY OF AWWA STEEL WATER PIPE STANDARDSSteel water pipe standards have been around in one form or another since the early installations of the product near the turn of the previous century. The following is a brief history of steel water pipe and the standards that eventually governed its manufacture. History of Steel Water PipeA history of steel water pipe in the US can be found in AWWA M11 (2004) as well as other documents written on the subject. Cates (1971) discusses wrought iron pipes being developed and installed in the early nineteenth century. Later with the advent of the Bessemer process in the 1850's, the Age of Steel was born. The Bessemer process reduced the carbon content of molten iron and removed impurities to form steel and also allowed for the mass production that previously was unobtainable. This allowed industry to tap into the superior properties of steel that had been difficult and expensive to obtain previously. During this same period the first steel water pipes were manufactured and installed in the US, with the first recorded installation in 1858 (Cates 1971). 398