CHAPTER A8
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
CYLINDER PIPE (PCCP)
AND FITTINGS
Richard E. Deremiah, P.E.
Project Manager
Price Brothers Company
Dayton, Ohio
INTRODUCTION
History
Prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) has been manufactured in the United
States since 1942. An American Water Works Association (AWWA) tentative
standard was developed in 1949 and was made a permanent standard in 1952. Since
that time, this standard has been reviewed and updated on a regular basis. PCCP
offers the specifier and owner numerous advantages, including ease of installation,
custom-designed fittings, superior corrosion resistance, high-flow characteristics,
low maintenance costs, and product support by the manufacturer. PCCP is used
extensively for a wide range of project types both in the United States and around
the world.
There are three other types of concrete pressure pipe: reinforced concrete cylin-
der pipe (referenced in the AWWA Standard C3001), reinforced concrete noncylin-
der pipe (referenced in the AWWA Standard C3022), and pretensioned concrete
cylinder pipe (referenced in the AWWA Standard C3033).
Terminology and Definitions
Spigot ring—
the protruding end of a PCCP joint
which contains a shaped groove to re-
tain the O-ring rubber gasket (refer
to Fig. A8.1)
A.397
A.398
PIPING FUNDAMENTALS
FIGURE A8.1 Spigot ring.
Bell ring—
the receiving portion of a PCCP joint
(refer to Fig. A8.2)
O-ring gasket—
rubber ring of circular cross-section
which, when compressed into the
spigot-ring groove by the bell ring,
provides a water-tight seal
Laying length—
a measure of a pipe or fitting’s length
along its axis for purposes of advanc-
ing the length of a pipeline
Working pressure—
the
long-term, steady-state
internal
pressure
Transient pressure—
the incremental change in internal pres-
sure in a pipeline, which is usually of
short duration, that is caused by a rela-
tively sudden change in flow velocity
FIGURE A8.2 Bell ring.
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CYLINDER PIPE (PCCP) AND FITTINGS
A.399
Field test pressure—
an internal pressure appli