ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion Canadian Electrical Code Topics polyethylene water pipe

Can anybody tell me what kind of water pipe can be used for this.
Thanks

Rule 12-012

Wooden planks, when buried in the ground, should be treated with a solution of pentachlorophenol or other suitable material as recommended by a manufacturer of wood preservatives. The use of creosote as a wood preservative in such installations is not recommended since it is known to damage rubber and thermoplastic insulations and will act as a catalyst in the corrosion of lead.
If polyethylene water pipe is used for mechanical protection for conductors and cables for direct earth burial under Subrule (3)(e), pipe in conformance with CAN/CSA-B137.1 is considered acceptable

Polyethelene pipe would come on really big reels as opposed to 10 or 20 foot sticks. It is not an approved electrical raceway so any conductor would have to be approved for direct burial. For example a conductor approved for a wet location can be installed in a pvc raceway like rw90, but rw90 is not approved for direct burial so it could not be installed in polyethelene. It is common for city utilities like the city of Calgary, to use polyethelene pipe to be installed by a direct burial tractor. One that trenches and buries in a single operation between light standards. It is popular because the pipe comes in 1000 foot reels, is very strong, and does not require couplings. The city utility can later install rw90 xlpe with a jacket (approved for direct bury) later.
In areas like Victoria with all the rock in the ground street lights are wired overhead and very few contractors use polyethelene pipe.
The advantage lies in the reduced burial depth required. A single conductor like rw90 XLPE with a jacket or nmwu has to be buried at 900 mm in a traffic area but can be burried at 750 in a polyethelene pipe. That and the fact that the wires can be changed in event of failure just like a raceway.
Polyethelene pipe is considered mechanical protection only and is not a raceway as it applies to table 53 or section 12

thanks for the clarification

I have used polyethelene pipe for marine crossings and have to say that it seems superior in all ways to any type of conduit used today. It's really tough stuff and easy to weld. We usually pull teck cable or type G mining cable or SOW (for shorter runs) inside it